The BMC Racing Team's versatile squad for Volta a Catalunya will include Marcus Burghardt, who will be making his first start in a stage race in 2013 when the week-long event begins on Monday.

Burghardt said a nearly two-week illness after the team's training camp in Spain in January is to blame for delaying the start of his ninth professional season. "Now I'm feeling better," he said, "but I have been training for more than four weeks. I don't think I have ever trained that long."

Assistant Director Max Sciandri said that with a mix of riders for the general classification, field sprints and breakaways, the BMC Racing Team will have plenty of options. "I don't want to put big expectations out there, but what we want to see are the guys moving forward in their natural progression of improvement," he said. Meanwhile, Steve Cummings, who is coming off a difficult edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, said mountainous stages and a lack of a time trial mean more chances for breakaways. "We just need to ride smart and make the best of the days that suit us and look for opportunities," he said.

BMC Racing Team Volta a Catalunya roster (March 18-24):
Marcus Burghardt (GER), Steve Cummings (GBR), Yannick Eijssen (BEL), Martin Kohler (SUI), Steve Morabito (SUI), Ivan Santaromita (ITA), Larry Warbasse (USA), Danilo Wyss (SUI).