Past maglia rosa jersey wearer Marco Pinotti and former world road champions Alessandro Ballan and Thor Hushovd headline the BMC Racing Team roster for next month’s Giro d’Italia.
Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said the nine-man team that also includes past U.S. national time trial champion Taylor Phinney is well-balanced for the three-week, 3,476-kilometer race that begins May 5. “Marco will be our team leader, which gives us a chance to look at a Top 10 finish overall,” Ochowicz said. “Some young riders like Taylor Phinney and Mathias Frank will also get opportunities – Taylor in the time trials and Mathias on the mountain stages. We are also proud to have Alessandro riding his first Giro, particularly with the good condition he has shown since the start of the season.” Ballan, the 2008 world champion, has podium finishes at the Tour of Flanders (third) and Paris-Roubaix.
Pinotti, a five-time Italian national time trial champion, has done the race every year since 2005. Earlier this week, he and Phinney helped the BMC Racing Team win the team time trial at the Giro del Trentino. “The Giro is always a focus for me,” Pinotti said. “My plan is to come with the best possible shape and confirm what I’ve done so far. It’s definitely a hard Giro. I’ll look for a spot in the top 10 and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll look to do something in the final time trial. Also, the last four or five years there has always been a stage close to where I live and this year that’s the case as well. So for me, it’s always important when the Giro comes.”
Departure From Denmark
The 95th edition of the Giro begins in Denmark, not far from Hushovd’s home country of Norway. The 2010 world champion, who has not competed in the Giro since 2007, said his two goals are a stage victory and to wear the leader’s jersey for few days. “I would like to be ready for the prologue to be close in the fight for the pink jersey,” Hushovd said. “The Giro is one of the most beautiful races out there. After the Tour de France, it’s the next highest race from my point of view. So I’m really excited to be part of the team to race there.”
