Last year BMC Racing Team got close to the stars and stripes jersey of American champion when Brent Bookwalter finished second in both the road race and the time trial. This year they aim to do better as Taylor Phinney lines up as the favourite for the time trial and will be joined by Peter Stetina for the road race.

Taylor Phinney and Peter Stetina, fresh off their performances at the Amgen Tour of California, head to the USA Cycling professional road championships this weekend in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Phinney will compete in Saturday's 30.9-kilometer individual time trial and be joined by Stetina for Monday's 165.5-km road race. A stage winner at the Amgen Tour, Phinney won the time trial in 2010, the same year Stetina last competed at nationals.

"We are definitely looking for a win with Taylor in the time trial," BMC Racing Team Sport Director Max Sciandri said. "The road race will be a little bit different with only two riders. National championship races are always a little bit hard to interpret, but we are taking two very good riders."

Last year, Brent Bookwalter was the BMC Racing Team's only entry at nationals and came away with silver medals in both events. Larry Warbasse had planned to compete, Sciandri said, but is still recovering from injuries suffered in a crash on Sunday's final stage of the Amgen Tour.

Stetina said he is on form following a sixth-place finish in California.

"I am cautiously optimistic," he said. "I don't know the route very well, but I know there are some pretty steep hills. I can go uphill really well and Taylor is pretty lean right now and packs a killer sprint. So I think we have a solid team to take home the stars and bars."