BMC and Shimano team up to bolster mountain bike squad
BMC and Shimano deepen relationship for road and mountain bike teams
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The BMC Racing Team is expanding its cross-country mountain bike squad for the 2013 season, signing on Shimano as a supporting sponsor just a few weeks after bringing two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion Julian Absalon to the squad. Shimano will provide the team’s drivetrains and brakes, as well as financial sponsorship.
Absalon joins current European and German national champion Moritz Milatz on the squad, which is finishing up its rookie year on the World Cup circuit. The 2012 team was comprised of Swiss riders Yves Cominboeuf, Patrik Gallati, Reto Indergrand, Alexandre Moos and Julian Tamaracraz as well as American Stephen Ettinger.
“With the BMC Racing Team we already have one of the strongest road teams. Now we are lifting our mountain bike team to a similar level as well,” BMC owner Andi Rihs said. “(Shimano) has state of the art components, an innovative approach and give us perfect support throughout the season.”
With the road squad, which includes recently crowned world champion Philippe Gilbert, Shimano will take over wheel sponsorship duties from Easton. The move follows a major push from the Japanese brand to bring its latest wheel line into the pro peloton, providing hoops to a wide range of pro teams including Sky, Argos-Shimano, Euskaltel-Euskadi, FDJ-Bigmat, Orica-GreenEdge, and Rabobank.
