Paris, France – Samuel Sánchez’s 12th-place finish overall capped a Tour de France that saw the BMC Racing Team win three stages and lead the race for one day.
Rohan Dennis, winner of the Stage 1 individual time trial at record speed on July 4, was part of a breakaway in the last 10 kilometers of Sunday’s 109.5-km race. After wearing the “maillot jaune” for one day, he went on to help the BMC Racing Team capture the Stage 9 team time trial.
“I wanted to start good and finish good,” Dennis said of his breakaway effort. “Obviously it did not work out, but you always have to try and give it your all. Going into yellow at the Tour de France was almost a daydream come true. It is the biggest race in the world and to be leading it, even for a second, is a huge privilege and a huge honor.”
Greg Van Avermaet won the other stage and was one of two riders from the BMC Racing Team who did not reach the finish line in Paris. Van Avermaet beat points classification winner Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) to win Stage 13. But he did not start Stage 16 in order to return home in anticipation of the birth of his daughter. Team leader Tejay van Garderen, who had been sitting either second or third overall through much of the first two weeks, retired due to illness after the race’s second rest day, during Stage 17.
“As far as pride is concerned, I am proud of the whole crew here,” BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said. “The staff and the riders did a tremendous job. ‘Impeccable’ is how I would describe this team’s efforts during this Tour de France. It was a great three weeks of racing and a lot of camaraderie in the group. A lot of teamwork. A lot of good feelings. A lot of highs and a lot of lows. But that is the Tour de France. We are happy this one is over and really looking forward to getting into it again next year.”
Sánchez, the 2008 Olympic road race champion who placed third at the Tour de France in 2010, enjoyed his 14th grand tour finish in 16 starts. Chris Froome (Team Sky) won the overall title for the second time in three years with a 72-second margin over Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team), who was the race’s “best young rider.” Quintana’s teammate, Spanish national road champion Alejandro Valverde, finished third, 5:25 back. André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) won on the Champs-Élysées Sunday to earn his fourth stage win of the race.
Joining Dennis and Sánchez as finishers of the three-week grand tour for the BMC Racing Team was Damiano Caruso, Daniel Oss, Manuel Quinziato, Michael Schär, and Swiss national road champion Danilo Wyss.
“This team did a very good job all three weeks,” BMC Racing Team Sport Director Yvon Ledanois said. “We had good spirit with everyone and that was important. Three victories for one team is very hard. But we did it. And getting the yellow jersey was perfect. Winning the team time trial was a big highlight, too. It was a team effort, not just one by one rider.”
