Steve Bovay (V.C. Mendrisio Pl Valli Casino' Admiral). (Image credit: Valle D'Aosta)
Steve Bovay, who had been riding for VC Mendrisio and VC Montreux, will be turning professional in 2008, ending the rumours that had surrounded the rider. The Swiss hopeful, who will turn 23 on November 25, signed a two-year contract with American-Swiss team BMC Racing Team. The rider finished second in the GP Lausanne on roads that are well familiar to him. He lives in St-Légier sur Vevey, in the Vaud region, just east of Lausanne. He also got fifth in the Tour du Jura and ended up 14th overall in the Giro della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc. He showed his climbing abilities in the Tour du Gevaudan, getting third overall in the mountains classification.
Bovay first made an impression as a junior in 2002. He won the mountain stage in the Tour du Pays de Vaud. To date he is still the last hometown rider from the Vaud region to be able to win a stage in that prestigious junior stage race. He also showed his climbing prowess in the GP Tell in 2006, where he ended up in fifth overall, after getting fourth in one of the mountain stages.
He will join other Swiss riders on the team, such as Danilo Wyss and Martin Kohler. And of course the very experienced Alexander Moos, who made the switch when Phonak folded. While BMC will be mostly racing in the United States, there is an increase in international racing, with plans to participate in the Tour of Qatar, the Tour of Luxembourg, the Tour de Romandie – the hometown race of Bovay – and the Tour of Switzerland. John Lelangue will be the new directeur sportif for BMC.
