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168澳洲5最新开奖结果:BMC Racing General Manager Jim Ochowicz announced Monday that the US-registered WorlܫdTour team is ending its development program after the 2017 season. The BMC Development Team has raced as an elite amateur squad since starting in 2013 and has propelled several young riders into the WorldTour.

"Since its inception, this team has graduated eight riders to our professional team," Ochowicz said in a statement released by the team announcing the decision. "All of these athletes have progressed well in BMC Development Team and as graduates to the professiona൲l team."

Current BMC Racing riders who came form the development team include Stefan Küng, Silvan Dillier, Tom Bohli, Dylan Teuns, Floris Gerts, Kilian Frankiny, Loïc Vliegen and Nathan van Hooydonck, who moved to the Worl꧙dTour team in May.

Although there was no explicit reason given for BMC's decision to shutter the program, Ochowicz's statement indicated the decision was driven by a changing market that couldn't guarantee ride🦄rs wouldn't jump from the development team to BMC's competitors.

"Unlike prior years, the athletes today are for the most part being managed by rider agents,🌃" Ochowicz said. "These rider agents then propose these athletes to other teams, who may or may not invest in such a program. In essence, we are now developing athletes at a cost for both our team and other teams. The UCI offers no protection to development teams, and no regulations exist that protect their investment or the tra﷽nsfer of riders from team to team."

The development team had 15 riders from eight countries in 2017, but none was from the US. The team, which focused on Europe and raced sparingly in the US, scored 16 wins in 2016 and was directed by Klaas Lodewyck and Jens Blatter. Current US Continental riders TJ Eisenhart (Holowesko-Citadel) and Keegan Swirbul (Jelly Belly-Maxxis) rode for BMC Development Team, as did 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alexey Vermeulen, who signed with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:LottoNL-Jumbo in 2016.

"We are proud of all the young athletes that particip✃ated in the program, and we wish them all great success for the future," Ochowicz said. "The staff over the years has been incredible and taken exceptional care of these future stars. The riders and staff should be proud of their time as members of BMC Development Team."