The BMC Racing Team will field an experienced roster around Cadel Evans for the 100th edition of the Tour de France.

Seven of the nine riders were a part of the BMC Racing Team’s 2011 squad when the Australian won the Tour de France: Brent Bookwalter, Marcus Burghardt, Amaël Moinard, Steve Morabito, Manuel Quinziato, Michael Schär, and of course Cadel Evans himself. The remaining two spots will be filled by reigning world road champion Philippe Gilbert and last year’s winner of the white jersey for the best young rider at the Tour, Tejay van Garderen, who recently won the Tour of California. Mathias Frank, Thor Hushovd and Dominik Nerz will be reserves and can be called up if any of the selected riders is unable to take the start.

Team leader Cadel Evans will start his ninth Tour de France coming off a third-place finish at the Giro d’Italia last month. He is full of confidence: “My recovery and training has progressed well this time as we attempt the ‘Giro-Tour double’. When I look back at our 2010 attempt, I feel a lot better this time around.”

Evans said the team assembled around him is even stronger than the 2011 squad: “I am happy to have my three ‘guardian angels’ – Quinziato, Burghardt and Schär – around me, plus Brent, Amaël and Steve from our successful 2011 team. And with Tejay coming into the mix, we are a lot stronger in the mountains than in past years.”

When he last raced both the Giro and the Tour as reigning world road champion in 2010, Evans finished fifth at the Giro despite suffering from illness and wore the yellow jersey for one day at the Tour before breaking his elbow and finishing 25th. “It will be crucial to be consistent everywhere, on the flat stages and in the time trials,” Evans commented. “The climbs will be particularly important this year. Avoiding bad luck is always key as well.”

Sports director John Lelangue said the six riders returning to support Evans form a solid foundation for the former winner’s run at the podium: “We have a really strong team and can go to Corsica with a lot of confidence with this team of experienced guys. They are all in good shape and focused on a sole objective. They also have been working well together in one-week races this year, so they know how it is to work for a leader.”

Assistant sports director Fabio Baldato, who directed Evans at the Giro, said that Evans showed in that race how he is always attentive to the little things that can make the difference over three weeks: “Cadel has shown he can be good in all areas – whether it's a technical parcours or a tricky final, he will be there. We saw this at the Giro. In situations like these, he’s good and is always in well-positioned. Plus, he has a great team around him to put him at the front.”

For Tejay van Garderen, who was fifth last year in his second Tour appearance, defending the white jersey is not an objective: “The white jersey wasn't a goal of mine last year and it isn’t this year," the young American said. “It just came along with me being up there every day, helping Cadel, which is my focus again this year.”

And Evans will have another prominent domestique: World champion Philippe Gilbert is also putting aside any personal ambitions in order to help Evans. “For me, I am just a helper, but it will be special to be part of the 100th Tour de France,” he said.

BMC Racing Team line-up for the Tour de France:

Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghardt (Germany), Cadel Evans (Australia), Philippe Gilbert (Belgium), Amaël Moinard (France), Steve Morabito (Switzerland), Manuel Quinziato (Italy), Michael Schär (Switzerland), Tejay van Garderen (USA).