BMC

BMC Racing hired Sven Schoutteten for many races

“A part-time soigneur for us? His name means nothing to me. I also don’t know anything about an arrest. This is the first I’ve heard of it.“

So says BMC Racing’s President and “General Manager” Jim Ochowitz when asked about the case of Sven Schoutteten *, who has been arrested for allegedly ordering 195 doses of recombinant EPO, an infamous doping product. It’s possible Ochowitz didn’t hear about the arrests, indeed Schoutteten might have hushed this up. Plus he is not a full-time team employee.

But I can reveal Sven Schoutteten has been working for the team as a soigneur at numerous races and as recently as two weeks ago. He didn’t just pop for an race or two as emergency cover, he has been an integral part of the team’s spring classics squad. Don’t take my word for it, here’s the BMC website. And here again. And again. And again. Oh and again. Again, again, again and again. Note the Sven “Shouteken” spelling in some instances.

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BMC’s Rihs drops day job after insider dealing probe

Andy Rihs

You might know Andy Rihs as the boss of BMC Racing but he’s become wealthy by creating a hearing aid company, Sonova. A Swiss company, Sonova is the world’s leading manufacturer in this sector. If you haven’t heard of it, you might have known it under its previous name of Phonak. The company was started by cycling aficionado and wealthiest man in cycling Andy Rihs, it’s grown from a tiny start-up into a medical electronics giant.

Only the company took a hit today with its CEO and CFO both tendering their resignations whilst Chairman Andy Rihs is to step down as a result of what the Financial Times calls “an insider trading probe”.

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Phinney leaves Radioshack

I am the future now Sometimes things can be obvious but you don’t say them. Maybe it’s because it’s polite not to point, other times just because it’s obvious. But that doesn’t mean you can’t say it. So here’s a reference on Twitter from user wesko: no one seems to be commenting on a talented … Read more

Phinney signs for BMC

Taylor Phinney doesn’t love Shack Following yesterday’s mention that Fabian Cancellara is hesitating between Team BMC and Team Luxembourg, BMC have announced the signing of wunderkind Taylor Phinney. The American rider doesn’t need an introduction these days, he’s proved a phenomenon on the track and road alike, winning kilo races and U-23 Paris-Roubaix alike. In … Read more

Cancellara: BMC or Luxembourg?

If sections of the Luxembourg media were announcing the arrival of Fabian Cancellara with the new Schleck “Team Luxembourg” squad, this now seems to be wishful thinking. Whilst it appears talks have been held, the Swiss rider is also linked with Team BMC, the Swiss owned squad. TeamIt’s not just the Swiss connection. BMC is … Read more

BMC to join Pro Tour?

Tour of Poland, he we come I can’t find the precise quote but there was a French general from World War I who said something like “my northern front is collapsing, the enemy has breached the eastern lines and my supply lines are being cut off. Excellent, I attack“. Now this sounds foolish in battle … Read more

Can money buy happiness?

BMC Racing’s Andy Rihs is probably the wealthiest man in pro cycling, so much so that he can pay for a cycling team in the way you or I might subscribe to a magazine. But for all his billions and business sense, he must be finding his expenditure in cycling isn’t bringing the dividends he’d … Read more

Spoke too soon

It’s hard to keep up. According to cyclingnews.com, BMC’s Thomas Frei has been busted for EPO, or at least he’s returned a positive A-sample. So an update to yesterday’s Trentino stage result is needed, since the Swiss rider was ninth yesterday. Is it me or is this race looking like a farce? Or is the … Read more

Le Tour teams: Prudhomme explains

So we know the teams who have been picked for the Tour. But why did Prudhomme take BMC? Well for ASO’s Race Director it was a “logical” choice. In an interview with L’Equipe (in French) he explains things. I’ll translate… Was the last spot between Cadel Evans’s team and the others?“As soon as Cadel Evans … Read more

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