BMC is the only American team that has been awarded a Pro Continental license. "It is an honour to be representing the United States on this list and we are proud of our team's American-Swiss structure," directeur sportif John Lelangue said.
The UCI awards the licenses according to multiple criteria including the strength of a team's administrative structure as well as the sporting results from the previous year. "We were hoping to race at this level again in 2009," Lelangue explained. "We can be proud of our organisation and our sporting level and will now concentrate on confirming our progress by having an even stronger roster, additional top level races and better results in 2009."
Having the Pro Continental status will be instrumental in BMC being able to gain admittance to the races which will form the backbone of their season. "The UCI understands that we are serious about all aspects of running a top-notch racing team," Lelangue concluded. "The UCI knows that we have a global view and a clear vision of what we want to accomplish because they recognize our efforts to race ethically and according to the rules, the strength our administrative organization, and our determination to start gaining concrete results."
