BMC Racing Team - Warming up for Camp
With the BMC Racing Team's January training camp just days away, Directeur Sportif John Lelangue is in the final stages of preparation for the 15 day gathering. Scott Nydam New Years Resolutions

Warming up for Training Camp: Lelangue's 12 month advantage
Beginning his second full year with the team, Lelangue is pleased to have had the benefit of working with and learning about the BMC riders' qualities this past year. "The big advantage I have this year over last is that I have had the chance to follow most of our riders for an entire year," Lelangue explained. "I have a 12 month history with the guys on the team in 2008 and I have been working with the few new riders since November; we have really kept good contact."

Redlands Cycling Classic 2008: Jeff Louder leads Slipstream's Peter Stetina  in a break. Photo © 2008 Action Images

For the already close-knit group, riding will be the focus at camp
Though it is typical to hold two training camps, one week in December and one week in January, BMC has made it a habit to have one longer training camp in January. "We have found that a longer camp in January where we can fine tune the training the guys have done since November, works much better for us than splitting them into two camps," Lelangue said.

 "The January camp will always have time taken up for team photos and medical testing, but this way we can also have the time to reconnoitre Tour of California stages, and get the team going to the Tour of Qatar ready for their particular stages like the team time trial."

Having 15 days of camp to work with, the managers can take the training days in three blocks of five days a piece. "We can have three periods of ramping up intensity for four days to have a fifth day for recovery, which is a very good way to put on the finishing touches," Lelangue revealed. The group carries over an easy harmony from the previous season since BMC experienced very little turnover. "We still have a large core group from last year which works very well together," Lelangue said. "And of the new riders, the four new Swiss members are all very familiar and friendly with each other, as their Mallorca mini training camp proved, and Chad Beyer is well known from his time on the US National team." The team bonds have largely already been made, freeing up camp time to focus entirely on the racing just around the corner.

Focusing on early season race schedules
"Each rider has been working on his training regime since November," Lelangue explained. "I have been keeping track of their progress by having weekly discussions with everyone so we know where they all are in terms of intensity."

The riders have known the first two months of their racing schedules since November, which has helped guide them in their preparations. "We are not a ProTour team with big leaders targeting goals like the Tour or the Classics, rather every race we consider to be our main objective," Lelangue said. "We are certainly focused on performing well in UCI events, and will have to be more conservative in our tactics, so that we are more prominent in the final hour of every race we do."

Racing to Win
Lelangue has made it very clear that animating the race will no longer be enough; racing to win will be the focus in '09. "For each race we need to enter at least the top 10, and all our riders know that we will build the teams for the April and May events on the strength of their February and March performances," Lelangue explained. "Gavin and I have told the guys that we will field the best team for any given event, and they have to be ready to prove themselves throughout the year." Everyone is keen to step up to the challenge and Lelangue believes in the positive pressure the desire for tangible results will put on the team. "This is a competitive sport and striving to win will always exert a good sort of pressure on the riders," Lelangue said. "The attitude is totally different from last year, but we have earned our confidence."

2008 Tour of California: Stage 2 Scott Nydam

The animator of the day was Scott Nydam of BMC who took a flyer at 17 km and would spend the day with his head in the wind defying the peloton for 90 miles before being captured by the chase before entering the finishing circuits in Sacramento. For his effort Nydam all the intermediate sprints and climbing points along the way and riding into the lead of the mountains competition and the most aggressive riders jersey. 

Redlands Cycling Classic 2008: BMC's Scott Nydam on the attack. Photo © 2008 Action Images

Photo © 2008 Action Images

New Year's Resolutions: Scott Nydam, the consummate professional
Having had what could be termed a break-out year in 2008, Scott Nydam and the rest of the BMC Racing Team are chomping at the bit to kick off the 2009 season with a bang.

In last year's Tour of California, Nydam had his greatest success and impressed the entire peloton when he and his team mates defended the King of the Mountains jersey. "That whole race was a special experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life," Nydam declared. "My father had just been diagnosed as being gravely ill, I had just crashed out of the Tour of Qatar and was feeling a little defeated." Instead of hanging on to the tail of the pack or waiting to get dropped by the peloton, Nydam decided to go on the attack. "The whole experience was very special particularly in the context of what was happening in my family, and is a memory I will savour forever," Nydam explained.

With the 2009 edition of the Tour of California just weeks away, Nydam has been using the past months to recharge his battery. With BMC ramping up its goals and ambitions for the coming season, everyone is excited to see what will be possible in the New Year. Nydam took the time over the holiday to give some of his impressions.

What are your early season goals?
Like last year, I think that it is important that we hit the ground running. This year we have a bigger and better roster of riders and we should expect to build on everything that happened last year so that means going to many of the same races as we did in 2008, but this time with a lot more confidence and higher expectations.

How has winter training been going for you?
Awesome! The weather in Northern California has been great for the most part, and some of the roads in Santa Rosa are simply the best you could imagine - epic rides start just outside your doorstep. I was telling my boss Gavin Chilcott about a recent ride through Skaags Springs and I think my statement was, "I need to win some races so I can keep training!" It is that awesome!

Do you find it easier to train in the cool wetness of CA or do you miss some of the harsher, snowy Colorado  winters?
I wouldn't say it is easier to train in Northern California. It would be "easier" if you were snowed in since that can sometimes happen in Colorado. But then you can workout on the trainer in the comfort of your living room. In Northern California, it is possible to ride outside 99% of the time. You just need to be prepared with the right clothing and equipment. This year, Gavin set me up with a "rain bike" that has fenders, so now I have no excuse not to ride outside. And like I said, with an epic ride waiting outside your door, that makes it easier too. Over Christmas, I was able to get back to Colorado to our family cabin in the mountains. I was able to do some Nordic skate skiing...that is how I used to get ready for racing. But now that the season starts so early I definitely think that Northern California is the place for me to be a year-round bike racer.

Can you really celebrate the holidays or are you already in "monk" mode?
It's already monk-isk mode time. But knowing now a little better how training works, there are ways of spending time with friends and family while still being prepared to train the next day.

Have you made a resolution for the coming year?
I think that my resolution for the new year is to eliminate all the personal stuff that holds me back in racing. Many of those things have an effect on confidence. So if I bring all my preparation to the maximum, that means I'll probably have a few dozen resolutions! I crashed out of the Tour of Utah which kept me out of our final races of the year. With that crash I was squirming like worm in pain on the ground because I broke a collarbone and a rib. That meant I wasn't able to be around to celebrate some of our biggest accomplishments with the team like Jeff's win at the Tour of Utah and his 5th at US Pro. So for me the 2008 season ended a little anti-climatically. But things like that are sometimes good because it keeps you hungry.

BMC Racing 2009 Squad
Alexander Moos
Markus Zberg
Florian Stalder
Mathias Frank
Thomas Frei.
Chad Beyer
Steve Bovay
Danilo Wyss
Martin Kohler
Jeff Louder
Scott Nydam
Jackson Stewart
Brent Bookwalter
Jonathan Garcia
Ian McKissick
Taylor Tolleson
Tony Cruz

BMC Racing Website

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