It was a decade ago in 2013 that BMC and Uplace, as founding partner, joined forces to start a journey to become one of the worlds’ leading triathlon projects. Since the launch of the international Team in 2014 the results have been outstanding with the team winning over 150 races and finishing on the podium in more than 300 of them, including the Ironman World Title in Hawaii in 2022, the PTO European Open Championship in 2023, the ITU LD World Title in 2021, 11 continental championship titles, 3 Vice-World titles and victories in the most prestigious races on the calendar. CEO, Bob De Wolf reflects: “We are entering our 11th season as a top international team and it is fantastic to be able to continue building on such a great project. 2023 brought new highlights with the victory of Max Neumann in the PTO European Open. Add to that an Ironman European Championship podium, several Ironman & Challenge victories and other outstanding podium results throughout the season, making for another successful year. Obviously, such results can only be achieved through the commitment and contributions of our sponsors and partners and we are therefore very grateful for their continued support. We want to continue winning big races next season and keep our position as one of the leading teams in the world. It is our ultimate ambition to win another World Title over the coming years”, says De Wolf. “We have been Ironman World Champion, ITU LD World Champion, and finished on a World Championship podium on six occasions in the past few years. I strongly believe we have the operational set up, the support of fantastic partners and the quality in the team to do so.”
Team line-up confirmed
The BMC Pro Triathlon Team has the clear ambition to continue to be a leading team in long distance triathlon. De Wolf indicates: “As we continue to set out very ambitious targets for the years to come, I am very proud and pleased with the team line up we have confirmed for next year. We feel we have a fantastic team roster in place and we are very pleased to have this line up confirmed for next season: Lucy Buckingham (GBR), Lucy Byram (GBR), Sam Dickinson (GBR), Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN), Chris Leiferman (USA), Thor Bendix Madsen (DEN), Clément Mignon (FRA).
Team roster 2024
“The cooperation with Max Neumann, Pablo Dapena Gonzalez and Patrik Nilsson will come to an end at the end of this season. Bob De Wolf adds: “Patrik (7 seasons), Pablo (5 seasons) and Max (4 seasons), have played an instrumental part in what we have been able to achieve as a team over all those years. Patrik was a member of the team since 2017, Pablo since 2019 and Max since 2020 and all three have been fantastic athletes to work with. The victory of Patrik Nilsson at the Ironman North American Championship in Texas, his Ironman European title in Frankfurt, the victory of Max Neumann at the PTO European Open, Max’ 3 consecutive wins at the Ironman Asian Pacific Championship in Cairns, the Vice-World title of Pablo Dapena Gonzalez in Pontevedra and Pablo’s total of 16 podium finishes as a member of our team, are some of the most memorable moments for the BMC Pro Triathlon team. We are very grateful for what Pablo, Patrik and Max have done for the team, as top athletes, as fantastic people to work with and for the outstanding results they have achieved as a member of our team. It has been an incredible journey and we wish them all the very best with their future careers”.
Three new faces in the team
Clément Mignon is the first new athlete in the team and will join the BMC Pro Triathlon Team from next season onwards. De Wolf adds: “We are incredibly proud and excited to work with such a line-up of talent next season. Clément was top 10 on his Kona debut last year, won the World Triathlon Long Distance World Championship in Ibiza this season, won Ironman Nice and finished 10th at the most recent IM World Championship in Nice. We are convinced, at the age of 24, that Clément is an incredible talent and a real contender for a Kona podium next year”.
Clément is really looking forward to the season ahead: “I am looking forward to join the BMC team for 2024 to be more professional as triathlete. Since I have started in triathlon, it has always been a goal to at some point be able to join the BMC Pro Triathlon Team to help me increase my level. For next season my big goal is a top 3 in Kona. I am really excited to embark on this journey and would like to thank the team for the trust and opportunity”.
“Lucy Byram is a real gem”, De Wolf continues. “She has been making waves in the early part of the 2023 season with back-to-back wins at Clash Miami and Challenge Puerto Varas, adding a further win at Challenge Wales. Her real breakthrough performance came at the PTO US Open where she mixed it up with the very best in the world to take a 4th place finish. In our opinion a star in the making and someone who will compete with the very best in the world moving forward”.
Lucy Byram is really looking forward to joining the BMC Pro Triathlon Team next season: “This team has always been made up of incredibly talented athletes so be adding to that list is a huge privilege. By being part of BMC, I hope to take both my racing and training to the next level. I believe I can achieve this by taking advantage of the great network of support that the team offers as well as learning from the other athletes within the team. I am already very excited to start the training build up for next season. For me the goals will be to qualify and race in my first 70.3 World Championships, and get onto PTO races start lines if the opportunity arises”.
Also Samuel Dickinson is one of the new faces in the team. “Sam is Commonwealth Gold medallist, multiple winner of ITU and ETU cup races and currently member of Team GB Olympic program. Sam has his sights set on a move to long distance in the future. At his first ever half distance event he finished second at IM70.3 Bahrain. Sam targets a podium at the European and World Ironman 70.3 Championships next season, an ambition we fully believe Sam can realize next year. We feel very confident Sam has the talent and we the support and structure to allow him that successful transition to the long distance”.
For Sam Dickinson 2024 will be a tale of two halves. “In early 2024, I have the opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris, representing one of the strongest triathlon nations, Great Britain. Whether successful or not, my long course targets are flexible and offer various options. I aim to gain experience over the 70.3 and possibly the 100k distance, with extra emphasis on the World 70.3 Champs in Taupō. Plastering the BMC kit across, hopefully, as many podiums as possible would also be good place to start my BMC journey! My aspirations on the team are simple - reach my potential. The years of knowledge and experience among the staff on the BMC Pro Triathlon Team can help me plot my course over the longer distance, such as optimising training and racing schedules. Couple this with working alongside fellow athletes and the generous support of the teams co-sponsors, ranging from nutrition to kit and beyond, I anticipate this will have a dramatic impact when I toe the first start line in BMC colours. I’m most looking forward to the headline act of team BMC and that is the opportunity to ride one of the fastest bikes in the sport in the Speedmachine and the Teammachine-R. BMC Pro Triathlon Team have a proven track record of transitioning short course athletes into the world class long course environment, so I am very much looking forward to being part of this process next season”.
Pablo Dapena Gonzalez reflects on his five fantastic years as a member of the team: ” My time on the team has just been wonderful. When I was starting out as a triathlete and training in the winter at Sands Beach and seeing Bart Aernouts, David McNamee, Will Clarke, Helle Frederiksen..., I was inspired and was really wishing to be on this team one day. Seeing the athletes all wear the same clothes, the fantastic atmosphere among the athletes and staff, the presence of the team mechanic, physio, doctor, physical trainer ... I had never seen anything like this in this sport. In the end I was lucky and proud to be 5 years in the team with great athletes but above all great people. Thanks Bob, Ben, Tom, Miguel, Maarten, Roel for all you have done for me. I will always be grateful. In terms of my personal highlights the epic battle with Lionel Sanders at Challenge Daytona must be right up there, sprinting side by side until the final hundred meters of the race. Another definite highlight is finishing 2nd in Challenge Gran Canaria behind Jan Frodeno in one of the strongest fields I’ve ever raced“.
Patrik Nilsson continues: “As I bid farewell to the BMC Pro Triathlon Team after seven incredible years, I am filled with gratitude for the unwavering support of both the team and its sponsors. The countless miles, victories, and challenges we conquered together have left an indelible mark on my journey as a professional triathlete. My personal highlights are my 8th place finish on my Kona debut, a full podium sweep in Frankfurt with a 3rd place in 2017 a 2nd in 2018 and the title in 2021 and my victory at the Ironman American Championship in Texas. Thank you for the memories, the camaraderie, and the shared pursuit of excellence. Here's to the next chapter, filled with new adventures and continued success for us all”.
Max Neumann adds: “After 4 great years, I am saying goodbye to the BMC Pro Triathlon Team. It was a time in my career I will be forever be grateful for and a team that really suited the way I do things. I would just like to say a massive thanks to all the staff, sponsors and fellow team mates for a very memorable experience over the last few years. Some of the highlights for me on the team were seeing my team mate Chelsea winning Kona in 2022, my victory at the PTO European Open earlier this year and the various team training camps we had together”.
