Third best team in the world last year. Shame their new sponsors have slightly ruined their jersey.
Last Season
BMC had the number one rider in the world last year, Greg Van Avermaet. The Olympic champion had such an exceptional spring he didn't have to do a whole lot more to be top of the World Tour. He started by winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but was only seventh the following day at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. He was then second at Strade Bianche before a disappointing 21st at Milan-San Remo. When he returned to Belgium for the cobbled races things started to get ridiculous. He won E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem, was second at the Tour of Flanders before winning his first monument at Paris-Roubaix. It was the culmination of years of promise, and in the year Tom Boonen retired, it's great for the sport Belgium have another classics master. The rest of his season was quite underwhelming, but he dominated the Tour of Luxembourg and got a second place at the Grand Prix Quebec.
BMC went into the year with big goals at grand tours and were very unfortunate in them. Rohan Dennis was targetting the overall at the Giro, and after a stage win at the Tour of the Alps and second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico he was looking realtively good for a top 10 place. Then he crashed in the crosswinds on stage 3 at the Giro ending his race. He bounced back to win both time trials at the Tour de Suisse in June and wore the red jersey after BMC won the team time trial at the Vuelta.
Richie Porte had a phenomenal start to the season winning two stages and the overall at the Tour Down Under, and then the overall at the Tour de Romandie. He came very close to winning the Criterium du Dauphine too after winning the time trial but on the final day the peleton rode to make him lose so he dropped to second. He went into the Tour de France as many people's favourites, but it ended in disaster on the descent of the Mont du Chat, breaking his hip and collarbone in a nasty crash. In the other grand tours, Tejay Van Garderen and Nicolas Roche were unable to sustain overall challenges, but the former did win a good stage of the giro to Ortisei which will have been a personal highlight.
The other very impressive rider in a team that won 48 races last year, was Dylan Teuns. Tuens ended the season with three overall stage race wins in a row, at the Tour de Wallonie, Tour de Pologne and Arctic Race of Norway. The punchy rider also won five stages in those races.
Who left?
Daniel Oss, who was Van Avermaet's key ally in the spring, has moved to Bora to help his biggest rival Peter Sagan. Silvan Dillier goes to AG2R, Ben Hermans to Israel Cycling Academy, Manuel Senni to Bardiani and Amael Moinard to Fortuneo-Samsic.
Who's joining?
Alberto Bettiol, who looked excellent at the Tour de France, joins from Cannondale. The ancient Simon Gerrans also joins, along with Jurgen Roelandts, Nathan Van Hooydonck and Patrick Bevan.
#How will 2018 go?
Greg Van Avermaet will finally win the Tour of Flanders, Rohan Dennis will win a bunch of time trials and Richie Porte (above) will find a way to not win the Tour de France again.