Despite not having officially announced its roster, BMC have made their ambitions clear for the Spanish race. The American team hope for a good overall result for veterans Samuel Sanchez and Cadel Evans while Philippe Gilbert will be targeting a stage win.

The provisional start list of the Vuelta includes an Olympic road race champion and eight Grand Tour winners. Two of those established stars lead the BMC Racing Team: Samuel Sanchez and Cadel Evans, the others being Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, Damiano Cunego, Ryder Hesjedal, Alejandro Valverde and defending champion Chris Horner.

The 2014 Vuelta a España might be the last Grand Tour of the 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans who has retirement in sight at the age of 37. He hasn’t returned to the Spanish race since he finished third in 2009. But he recently showed that he shouldn’t be discarded at the time of listing the potential overall winners, especially eleven months after the triumph of 42 year old Chris Horner. The Australian won the last two stages of the Tour of Utah, precisely ahead of Horner who doesn’t hide his ambitions to retain his crown at Santiago di Compostela on September 14.

As he finished twelfth overall at the Tour de Pologne in the run up to the Vuelta, Sanchez also indicated that he remains very competitive at the age of 36. The third famous and experienced rider of BMC Racing Team at the Vuelta will be the 2012 world champion Philippe Gilbert made the top ten of the Eneco Tour prior to embarking to his favorite Grand Tour where he won two stages two years ago and stage 12 to Tarragona with the rainbow jersey last year.

“One year ago, Philippe had to undergo an operation for a knee injury after the Eneco Tour”, recalled sports director Yvon Ledanois. “He didn’t start the Vuelta in full capacity. Yet he managed to win a stage and ride well at the world championships (9th). But this time around, he’ll arrive in Spain in a much better condition and some stages suit him really.”

“Our ambition is to get the best possible overall result with either Cadel or Samuel”, Ledanois explained. “Both have recovered well from the Giro. They aren’t the favorites for the Vuelta since three riders look stronger on paper: Chris Froome, Joaquim Rodriguez who came out of the Tour de France with a great condition, and Nairo Quintana who has to do well in what is Movistar’s main goal of the year. If the three of them are at 100% of their capacities, they’ll have to handle the responsibilities in the race.

"But at the Vuelta, experience prevails. Cadel and Samuel are classy riders and they have that kind of experience likely to make a difference in special circumstances. Samuel knows all the roads in Spain, even the most hidden ones.”

To balance the experience of Evans, Sanchez and Gilbert, BMC Racing Team will count on the youthful energy and idealism of Rohan Dennis who transferred from Garmin-Sharp on August 3rd after being a runner up at Circuit de la Sarthe, Tour of California and the individual time trial of the Commonwealth Games.

“We’ve chosen strong riders who are on form at the right time to perform at the Vuelta”, Ledanois said.