Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

BMC Racing Team in 2010: Lelangue looks back

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News 2010

Published on Monday, 29 November 2010 17:46

Written by Luca Salvatelli

The objectives that BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue laid out a year ago helped the squad achieve success throughout 2010, while also paving the way for it to receive the coveted ProTeam status it will enjoy in 2011.

ProTeam Status

Lelangue meticulously crafted a race schedule that put the BMC Racing Team in position to do its best in world calendar races. The strategy paid off with a No. 1 ranking for Cadel Evans after the Giro d'Italia and a No. 10 ranking for the team by season's end. "It was a big achievement for us to get to the level where we are today," Lelangue said. "We were among the best teams in the world on the sport level this year. Now we will have global access to the best races in the world. That's a big achievement."

Injuries Costly

The 2010 season was not without its share of setbacks. In addition to the usual bouts of illnesses and other maladies, the BMC Racing Team saw a number of riders sidelined by injury. High-speed crashes knocked Karsten Kroon out of Flèche Wallonne and Mathias Frank out of the Tour de France. But even a broken elbow couldn't stop Evans from finishing the Tour. "We went into the Tour de France with one single objective – to help Cadel get onto the podium in Paris," Lelangue said. "All the team was focused around him. We didn't bring a sprinter and we didn't look to win any of the classifications. So we put a lot on his shoulders."