Starting Friday, BMC Racing Team will be competing in the three stage Tour de Yorkshire, albeit with a reduced squad.

Due to injuries and a busy spring schedule, the American based team will only be taking six out of eight riders to the short stage race in northern England.

“Unfortunately, we had to make a late decision to take Samuel Sánchez out of the team as he is still recovering from his Vuelta al Pais Vasco crash and we don’t want to push him too much,” sports director Jackson Stewart explained.

American Brent Bookwalter will lead the team, and is excited to race for the first time on British soil and lead the BMC squad at the Tour de Yorkshire.

“Somehow I’ve never had the chance to race in Great Britain so I’m really looking forward to lining up at Tour of Yorkshire,” Bookwalter said.

“I’ve heard it’s an action packed race with some of the most passionate fans and a course that can produce unpredictable racing, so I’m excited to be part of it.

“I was able to build some strong momentum through the Tour of the Alps and will look forward to continuing that trend in Yorkshire where we will have a strong team balance of youth and experience.”

The 33-year-old will look to build upon good legs that helped him finish second on the final stage of the Tour of the Alps behind Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and 11th in the general classification earlier this month.

Amaël Moinard, Joey Rosskopf, Manuel Quinziato, Floris Gerts and Miles Scotson round out the roster riding in support for the 33-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico that has spent his entire ten-year professional career riding for BMC.

The team is also currently racing in the Tour de Romandie, securing the win during today’s stage two with the young Stefan Küng.