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Loïc Vliegen Promoted To BMC Racing Team

  • Ron 

Loïc Vliegen became the latest rider to advance from the BMC Development Team to the BMC Racing Team when he turned professional on Wednesday.

President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said the 21-year-old Belgian is in a position to contribute immediately, particularly due to injuries that have sidelined a number of riders.

“This is exciting for us, having advanced another fine athlete from our BMC Development Team to the pro team,” Ochowicz said. “We have high hopes for Loïc’s future with our team.”

Vliegen joins Silvan Dillier and Stefan Küng as riders who have advanced from the U.S.-registered amateur team to its parent WorldTour squad. Dillier recently won the Swiss national time trial championship while Küng rode to a pair of solo wins before a crash at the Giro d’Italia sidelined him.

Vliegen has four victories to his credit this season: Flèche Ardennaise and stage wins at the Tour de Bretagne, Course de la Paix U23 and the Tour des Pays de Savoie. He was also runner-up overall at the Tour de Bretagne and Course de la Paix U23.

Vliegen said success on the Under 23 level gives him confidence to make the mid-season promotion a smooth one. He hopes to continue the learning process that began last year when he was a stagiaire for the BMC Racing Team and finished eighth overall at the Arctic Race of Norway.

“I know how the level is for some races, but I have not yet raced on the WorldTour,” he said. “I am excited to learn how about this level and I hope to help our leader in whatever race I am doing.”

Specific details and terms of Vliegen’s contract were not revealed, per BMC Racing Team policy.

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