Finishing fifth at last year’s Tour de France and with three podium finishes to his credit in early season stage races this year, BMC’s Tejay van Garderen can be forgiven for believing that he is currently America’s best stage race rider.

However, he is yet to realize his ambition of winning a major stage race as a professional.

BMC Racing hopes to rectify that in California as van Garderen spearheads an imposing field, but one in which he is a favourite, as many of the sport’s Grand Tour hopefuls are busy racing the Giro d’Italia or training at altitude with the Tour de France in their sights. Van Garderen comes off a training block in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

The Tour of California commences on Sunday in Escondido, California, and finishes a week later in Santa Rosa. The route is visibly difficult this year, with three uphill finishes, including a sharp, three km climb to the finish in the stage 6 individual time trial and the hors categorie ascent of Mount Diablo the day after.

BMC Racing director John Lelangue said the race would be vicious, but that the team was unyielding. “The whole team is dedicated and devoted to helping Tejay on the general classification, but we will also look to win some stages if we can,” he said.

For van Garderen, a positive result, or even a win, could come as early confirmation of his form as he barrels toward the Tour de France, in which he and Cadel Evans are slated to act as co-leaders, with the initial push for Evans, and van Garderen lying in wait should the 2011 Tour conqueror falter, as he did due to a combination bad luck and illness in 2012.

So far this year, van Garderen has finished in the top three at the Tour de San Luis, Critérium International, and Paris-Nice. His team won’t be found lacking, either, as BMC Racing will line up with one of the strongest units in Escondido.

“To win, you need a strong team and I think we have the strongest on the flats with guys like Philippe [Gilbert], Thor Hushovd, and Michael Schär, and on the climbs with Mathias Frank, Amaël Moinard, and Marco Pinotti,” van Garderen said. “We also have Brent Bookwalter, who can fill both of those roles.”

BMC line-up for Tour of California:

Brent Bookwalter, Mathias Frank, Philippe Gilbert, Thor Hushovd, Amaël Moinard, Marco Pinotti, Michael Schär and Tejay van Garderen.