Simon Gerrans to join BMC Racing from Orica-Scott

Simon Gerrans will leave Orica-Scott at the end of the 2017 season and join BMC Racing for 2018, taking with him well over a decade of experience.

The 37-year-old Australian joins WorldTour outfit BMC to bolster its Classics line-up, act as road captain and provide support for leaders Richie Porte and Greg Van Avermaet.

Gerrans has an extensive palmares that includes victories in the 2012 Milan-San Remo, 2014 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, four overall victories in the Tour Down Under and stage wins in all three Grand Tours.

"BMC Racing Team is a team that I have always admired, not only in their results, but also the professionalism of the organization," said Gerrans.

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"Obviously, there has always been a strong affiliation with Australians in the team starting with Cadel Evans, and then more recently with Richie Porte, Rohan Dennis and Miles Scotson.

"I'm really excited about the position I have been offered in the team. I always saw myself spending the last period of my career in more of a road captain role and passing on my experiences. I'm looking forward to contributing to the team as both a support rider and leader when called upon."

Gerrans's season with BMC will kick off early, as he seeks to be part of the squad's line-up for the Tour Down Under in January, won last year by the team's Porte.

"It's probably a bit early to start announcing specific goals but I hope to get my season started in Australia," said Gerrans. "There is obviously a Santos Tour Down Under crown to defend with Richie Porte, and it is a race I've always enjoyed and done well at."

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BMC general manager Jim Ochowicz said that he expects Gerrans will 'play a big role' in the team throughout the season.

"There are not many riders out there with a palmarès and wealth of knowledge like Simon Gerrans, so we are very excited to see Simon join us in 2018," said Ochowicz.

"Simon's experience in all aspects of the sport and his diverse skill set in multiple race situations will make him a tremendous asset to the team. We expect Simon to play a big role in BMC Racing Team's performance from the beginning of the season until the end."

Gerrans has ridden for the GreenEdge/Orica team from 2012 to 2017, and prior to that he was on Team Sky, Cervelo Test Team, Credit Agricole and Ag2r in a professional career that started in 2005.