Bevin targets time trial success
The late scramble for a new naming rights sponsor resulted in some of BMC Racing’s leading riders jumping ship, but New Zealand time trial ace Patrick Bevin is glad he waited it out.
The 27-year-old has signed a two-year contract extension with BMC after finding his niche in a team which prioritises the race against the clock.
Having recently achieved one of New Zealand’s finest results at the Tour de France, when he led BMC to victory in the team time trial, Bevin said his next goal will be to back it up with an individual stage win at another World Tour event.
‘‘I’d like to put a World Tour win on the board in one of the big European races for sure. In the short- or medium-term that’s the goal,’’ said Bevin, who came close when he finished second to team-mate Tejay van Garderen in the time trial at the Tour of California.
‘‘It’s good to have a strength I can rely on and it is the time trial. Over the next two seasons it’s an opportunity to keep building on that and although the team lost some of its star time triallists, it’s an opportunity for me to fill that void and get those starts in the races so you can start to target stage wins.’’
Van Garderen is one of the many BMC riders who have signed elsewhere for 2019, following a period of uncertainty where Continuum Sports, the organisation which runs the team, scrambled to find a naming rights sponsor to ensure their survival.
Other high-profile riders to depart include Richie Porte, Stefan Kung, Damiano Caruso and Rohan Dennis.
While Bevin’s strong form saw him attract interest from numerous other World Tour teams as well, he said it was an easy decision to stay put once a new sponsor, CCC Sprandri Polkowice next year, came on board.
‘‘With the team up in the air there was a lot of interest in every guy riding for this team such is the success of the team. I had a really strong season through to the Tour and I was in a good position but once the team was solid I was really keen to stay,’’ he said.
‘‘With the way the team time trial is becoming more and more prominent in the tours, if you have a GC rider that wants to win the race then you need a strong team time trial unit.
‘‘You simply can’t afford to lose two or three minutes on those stages. For me it was a good look to be called in on the back of having a good team time trial and winning that stage proves you are an asset in that team, and it’s a strong attribute to have.’’