SYDNEY: Australia's world road race cycling champion Cadel Evans said his switch to the American BMC team gives him the freedom to plan his own programme.

Evans, a two-time runner-up on the Tour de France, in 2007 and 2008, has announced he will leave the Belgian Silence-Lotto outfit at the end of the year despite having a year to run on his current deal.

BMC said it had signed Evans to a three-year contract in a "partnership (that) will create mutually beneficial opportunities for both the current world champion as well as the BMC Racing Team."

Evans said he had confidence in the group being assembled by BMC and had been given complete freedom to plan his own programme next year.

"I get to do everything that I want," Evans told reporters in Adelaide on Monday.

"All the programme is done, the only race we don't know about is the Tour Down Under."

The signing of Evans will be considered a coup for BMC, who have been operating in cycling's second tier Continental Pro ranks.

His presence means the team can now look forward to being invited to many of the top races on the calendar, for which Pro Tour status is usually required.

Evans placed third in this year's Tour of Spain -- a race that provided perfect preparation for his successful bid to win the rainbow jersey at the world championships in September.

"We're guaranteed a start in the Tour of Italy, and then it's up to us to prove that we shouldn't be left out of the Tour de France," Evans said.

Evans said his decision to switch from the Silence-Lotto team was as much about the team environment as it was about the strength of riders to help him in the biggest races.

"They kind of go hand-in-hand, when you look for a team as a grand tour rider you need a team that is 100 percent behind you from day one," he said.

"But you also need the riders that are capable of doing that, capable of physically doing the work that is required."

Evans, 32, had a disastrous Tour de France campaign in 2009, finishing in 30th place.

Fans of the Australian have often complained that Silence had not assembled a team that was strong enough to help him win the world's biggest bike race.

Evans said on his website: "A great opportunity has come for me to join a growing team of like-minded individuals at BMC. I look forward to working with the BMC group toward the same goals including the Tour de France.

"I see the BMC Racing Team as a growing but very well-structured and organised team.

"Obviously, I would like to do better than my two second places at the Tour de France."

BMC Racing Team co-owner Jim Ochowicz said: "Cadel brings a wealth of experience in the Grand Tours to the team.

"We are pleased that we will have the opportunities to send out our most successful riders, now including Cadel Evans, to tackle these challenges."

BMC have also signed established professionals such as George Hincapie, Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt and Karsten Kroon.

Evans said he would have talks with Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur while in Adelaide to negotiate a possible BMC start in next January's tour.