Lelangue pleased with BMC training camp

The BMC Racing Team has concluded its 15-day California training camp and Directeur Sportif John Lelangue found cause for optimism regarding the squad's upcoming races.

"We fashioned a long camp which gave us all the time to fit in the volume and intensity workouts that we needed," said Lelangue. "It worked out really well for everyone."

Warm and sunny California weather proved conducive to the work at hand. "The weather was also very helpful, with only a little rain on our last day of training. This gave us the chance to do everything that we had planned for which included reconnoitering Tour of California stages, preparing for long climbs, as well as multiple workouts for the group going to Qatar.

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"We were able to practice our sprint lead-outs for our four main sprinters – Zberg, Wyss, Kohler and Cruz – and we also had a chance to work on our team time trialling," continued Lelangue. "The camp made clear that everyone was in good shape and that they had taken their off-season preparation very seriously. Happily, no one got sick and we didn't have any crashes.

A year of experience in 2008 laid the groundwork for a smoother beginning to a new season. "I think everyone will agree that this year's camp was totally different from last year and much better as a result. Last year nearly everyone, including myself , was new to the team," said Lelangue. "We were just learning about each other and there was no way we could ideally focus the training. This year we have been in constant contact the two months before camp, and so we were really able to focus on our intensity. That was a huge advantage, and for me personally, I would have to say that this has been one of the best camps I have ever been to in my entire career."