Peter Velits of the BMC Racing Team makes his return to competition Saturday at the Tour of Austria following successful surgery to correct an overuse injury to his left leg.

The past Slovakian national time trial champion and rider on the BMC Racing Team's world champion team time trial squad underwent the procedure April 2. He said his rehabilitation and training has been slow, but with steady progress.

"The process is long, but my power is coming back," he said. "You need a lot of patience and to listen to the doctors and their advice. I didn't want to rush anything and that was a good decision. I am happy how supportive the team has been in giving me enough time to recover and build again. In Austria, I am going to take things day-by-day. But I am very much looking forward to being with the team again and racing."

Among the riders joining Velits at the Tour of Austria is Brabantse Pijl and Tour de Yorkshire stage winner Ben Hermans. The nine-day race begins with a 5.4-kilometer team time trial.

Riders:
Brent Bookwalter (USA), Ben Hermans (BEL), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Joey Rosskopf (USA), Manuel Senni (ITA), Dylan Teuns (BEL), Peter Velits (SVK), Rick Zabel (GER).