Joey Rosskopf. Photo provided by Hincapie Development

Joey Rosskopf is taking his cycling career to the next level.

Whether he can stay there is a different question.

Rosskopf is a Decatur High School grad who recently signed with BMC Racing, a UCI ProTeam, the top division in the sport. He’ll soon relocate from his home in Athens, Ga. to somewhere in Europe (he hasn’t decided yet) to begin training. He said BMC is “one of the best teams in the world.” It’s well-funded and its ranks have included former world champions and a Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans.

“It’s the top of the sport, really,” Rosskopf said. “I don’t know we’ll see if I can stay there. It’s basically year-to-year contracts for most riders. If I don’t perform next year, I won’t get resigned.”

He worked his way up from a division two team, Hincapie Sportswear Development.

BMC President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said in a press release that Rosskopf, “really suits our strategy of allowing new riders to come on board and achieve goals similar to the ones we have.”

Rosskopf said he looks forward to the benefits of having riding become his full time job. He can stop worrying about how to pay the bills and focus on training.

“I haven’t raced much at the top of the sport yet,” he said. “That’s what next year’s about, going to be there, being successful. It’s one thing to get hired by a bigger team. You have to prove yourself.”