Tony Cruz landed on the podium in Redlands in 2008. (Image credit: Kurt Jambretz)
It was just one month ago that the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced the wildcard selections for the 107th edition of Paris-Roubaix, and among the eight discretionary picks was the American BMC Racing Team, the USA's sole UCI Professional Continental squad. Cyclingnews' Peter Hymas talked to three members of the team about the mad scramble to prepare for the biggest one-day race of the year.
The BMC Racing Team hasn't had the luxury of taking in the traditional buildup to Paris-Roubaix. Most teams have a steady diet of grueling European one-day classics and short stage races to fine tune fitness and acclimate the body to the demands put forth by gnarled pavé and adverse weather conditions.
Instead, the team's top competition came at the Tour of Qatar, Amgen Tour of California and Critérium International. Additionally, the team has been active this Spring in Europe, racing in Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Of the five American and three Swiss members of BMC Racing Team's Paris-Roubaix roster, only one, Tony Cruz, has previously started Paris-Roubaix. Veteran members of the team, however, such as Cruz and Swiss Alexandre Moos bring a wealth of European ProTour experience to the squad on the road while directeur sportif John Lelangue and the team's support staff have been feverishly at work to ensure a flawless trek from Compiègne to Roubaix.
