BMC 2012 in Review

BMC had an ambitious recruitment policy at the end of the 2011 season in which they snared several big name riders, making headlines for the expensive outlay in acquiring Thor Hushovd and Philippe Gilbert. Along with the two big riders the collapse of HTC-Highroad allowed for the capture of up and coming American Tejay Van Garderen as well as the Italian veteran Marco Pinotti. The team had stage wins at the Giro and Vuelta and several other stage races across the season but it was again the Tour de France that was the focus of the teams GC ambition in 2012. The two big name recruits were to deliver the early season classics but it would take until May at the Giro when the team had its first significant wins in 2012. 

The Problems of Reassigning Results After Admissions of Doping

After the recent USADA reasoned decision which contained the affidavits of several Garmin-Sharp riders who were teammates with Lance Armstrong in his Tour winning days have had their results voided for the years they admitted doping. Christian Prudhomme who is the head of the ASO has admitted that no rider should inherit the Tour titles that Armstrong looks likely to lose. Instead he has said that “If it’s a question that we would declare that era as a black era, then I’m not afraid to do so” as in many of the years the riders in the top ten have, if not tested positive been implicated, been tainted by doping scandals.

Gilbert Delivers after Fearless Attack on the Cauberg

Philippe Gilbert had pencilled in September 23rd 2012 as the day he would win the rainbow stripes. When the parcours for the 2012 worlds was announced, Gilbert was installed as the favourite. 2009 and 2010 had been close with Gilbert in contention until the final kilometres in both those races. 2011 was the flat track that had Mark Cavendish pencilled in as the favourite just as Gilbert was for 2012.