Michael Schar (BMC Racing Team) (Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
BMC Racing team has announced its squad for the upcoming Circuit Franco-Belge and team director Rik Verbrugghe thinks that weather conditions, rather than the parcours, will be decisive in shaping the character of the four day stage race.
"The weather conditions are always a big factor [in Franco-Belge]," Verbrugghe said. "If there is wind or bad weather, it could be a strange race. But with good weather, it could also be four days of sprints."
The autumn can often be a tumultuous time in Belgium, with day-to-day changes from heavy rains, cold snaps, and sometimes even light snow.
Michael Schär, one of the key member of Cadel Evans' Tour de France winning team, will line up at the race on the back of a heavy late season schedule and says with a team full of classics specialists, BMC will be well placed to have a successful race - rain or shine.
"With Taylor Phinney, who has good form from the worlds, and Alessandro Ballan, who has a super experience in these kind of races, we are going to try to work together and go for a result," Schär said.
The Circuit Franco-Belge starts on September 29 in Mouscron.
BMC Racing Team Circuit Franco-Belge Roster:
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Alessandro Ballan (Ita), Marcus Burghardt (Ger), Mathias Frank (Swi), Steve Morabito (Swi), Taylor Phinney (USA), Ivan Santaromita (Ita), Michael Schär (Swi), Johann Tschopp (Swi).
