BMC came up short in the Tour de France and now the American team has decided to bolster its stage racing squad by the signing of Peter Velits who has raced for Omega Pharma-Quick Step during the last two seasons. Having already finished on the podium in the 2010 Vuelta a Espana, the Slovakian hopes to develop into an even better rider by getting involved with BMC's setup.

BMC has had some stage racing success this year with Cadel Evans' 3rd place in the Giro d'Italia and Tejay Van Garderen's Tour of California win being the best results but the team came up short when it mattered most in the Tour de France. Now the team has decided to strengthen its roster for both grand tours and week-long stage races by adding Peter Velits to the squad.

The Slovakian rose to prominence when he won the 2007 U23 world championships and made big headlines when he surprised everybody by claiming a podium spot in the 2010 Vuelta a Espana. Since then his progression has stalled and despite a win in the 2012 Tour of Oman, his results have never reached similar heights.

Velits hopes that his new surroundings will help him improve as a bike rider.

"Everyone knows that the BMC Racing Team is one of the best teams – not only with the riders, but also the staff and the equipment," he said. "So I am really happy that I can join the team for next season. Velits said he has a singular goal for 2014. "I just want to get better," he said. "I want to grow as a rider and, with this team, it's going to be possible because I can learn new methods of training and working with new equipment. I don't have any specific goal that I want to win this race or that race. I just want to really grow as a rider."

BMC manager Jom Ochowicz was equally enthusiastic.

"Peter has a deep background in the sport at multiple levels," he said. "In particular, he will add power to the team as a skilled time trialist and climbing expert."

The specific terms of the contract haven't been disclosed. The future of his twin brother Martin still hasn't been revealed but the two Slovakians have always raced together.