Cummings, Fr🍒ank options for general classification
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Taylor Phinney (BMC). (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Taylor Phinney (United States)𓃲, Tony Martin💎 (Germany) and Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Taylor Phinney (United States) (Image credit: AFP)
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Steve Cummings (📖BMC) wins stage 13 of the 2012 Vuelta a Espana in Ferrol. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Steve Cummings (BMC) won in F𓃲errol with a clever attack. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Steve Cummings (BMC) alone in the lead in the final kilometres with former breakaway companions Cam🎃eron Meyer (Orica-GreenEdge) and Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) in hot pursuit. (Image credit: Sirotti)
For the first time since his narrow five-second loss to Tony Martin at the UCI🎉 time trial world championships in the Netherlands, Phinney will line-up against the Omega Pharma-QuickStep German who returns to China as the reigning Tour of Beijing champion.
Last year's Tour of Beijing general classification was decided on the opening 11.3km time trial but this year's five-stage event, comprised solely of road stages, provides no such opportunity to parlay their prowess aga෴inst the clock into a general classification advantage. Phinney, however, will draw from his strong Classics-style racing form to contend for sta🎉ge wins.
"We'll take things da🌌y-by-day when it comes to the stages, but always keep an eye on the overall," said BMC directeur sportif Max Sciandri. "The first day will be a flat day with a sprint. We have Phinney and [Klaas] Lodewyck for that. The next stage will be harder so that's when we will start to see what we can do on the overall classification. Unfortunately for us, there's no time trial this year."
Cummings, winner of stage 13 at this year's Vuelta a España, finished fourth overall at last year's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:inaugural Tour of Beijing based on his performance in thౠe opening stage time trial.
"There's no time trial this time and tha💟t was a difference-maker last year," said๊ Cummings. "I've also been pretty tired since the world championships so I think it's going to be a hard race for me with the travel, the food and such. But it's the same for everyone."
Fr💯ank and Swiss national road champion Martin Kohler also competed in the BMC Racing Team's season-opening race, the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia in January. "It's been a long season," Frank said. "But this wilജl be a nice race to finish it out."
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BMC Racing Team roster for the Tour of Beijing: Steve Cummings (GBr), Mathias Frank (Swi), Martin Kohler (Swi), Klaas Lodewyck (Bel), Taylor Ph𒐪inney (USA), Mauro Santambrogio (Ita), Danilo Wyss (Swi)
