Can Phinney change BMC's fortunes in Tirreno - Adriatico TTT?

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BMC hopes that the inclusion of Taylor Phinney in this year's team for Tirreno - Adriatico will boost their stocks, particularly in the two stages against the clock.

The Race of the Two Seas will once again open with a 16.9km team time trial on Wednesday. In 2012, the team fell disappointingly short of the mark in the TTT, close to a minute behind winners GreenEdge.

Phinney, silver medallist in last year's UCI Road World Championships in the individual time trial and a member of BMC's silver-medal-winning squad in the team event should prove handy in the opening stage, but according to Assistant Director Max Sciandri, he will also get his own chances.

"The most important thing is to get the team started in the right way in the team time trial," he said. "We certainly have the manpower to do well."

The seven-stage WorldTour event closes out with a 9.2km individual time trial in Nice "is a great one for him [Phinney]."

Meantime, 2011 Tirreno - Adriatico overall winner Cadel Evans will be looking to the next week of racing to gauge his form against a handful of riders who should be rivals come July. The race proved an important stepping stone for the Australian in 2011 on the way to winning the Tour de France. Chris Froome (Sky), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Joaquím Rodríguez (Katusha), and Alberto Contador (Saxo - Tinkoff) are all scheduled starters.

Evans started the season well with third overall at the Tour of Oman and on Saturday was 28th at the Strade Bianche.

"Strade Bianche was a good indication for me, though I didn't make the final in the front group," he continued. "We'll see how the team time trial goes and then we'll take it from there."

The full BMC line-up is for Tirreno - Adriatico is: Steve Cummings, Cadel Evans, Thor Hushovd, Klaas Lodewyck, Taylor Phinney, Manuel Quinziato, Michael Schär and Greg Van Avermaet.