BMC has several tactical options for US Pro Challenge mountain stage

BMC may have lost the battle on stage one of the US Pro Cycling Challenge in Crested Butte, but the American team are well placed to assault Levi Leipheimer’s (RadioShack) slender lead on Wednesday's queen stage that finishes in the ski resort town of Aspen.

Four riders from BMC sit in the top 10: Cadel Evans is the best placed at 17 seconds but Brent Bookwalter (6th at 0:34), George Hincapie (8th at 0:37), and Jeff Louder (10th at 0:41) are all close enough to give the team several options. Despite the Australian’s current lofty position in the overall standings, he knows that beating Leipheimer is going to be a difficult task.

"I came here with big ambitions, but not great expectations," said Evans. "There are guys who had time to prepare for it well, or recover from the Tour, or they didn't ride the Tour."

"The guys who are well-adapted and acclimatized to the altitude are always going to be at an advantage. I'm just sort of taking it as it comes."

Trying to isolate Leipheimer with a long range move is certainly a possibility for BMC, particularly considering the American’s team crumbled on the queen stage of the Tour of Utah with a stronger roster and against lesser competition earlier in the month. The absence of Chris Horner, who was originally down to ride in Colorado, will be resoundingly tested on the road to Aspen.

"Today, the strongest guy won," Evans said. "We'll see what we [BMC] can do against them [RadioShack]."