BMC general manager Jim Ochowicz is looking to secure the team’s long-term future and has dismissed recent rumours that his team will merge with Swiss squad IAM Cycling.

Cyclingnews understands that BMC team backer Andy Rihs and IAM owner Michel Thétaz have held talks in the past and even recently at the Tour de Romandie. Both could be interested in joining forces to create one strong Swiss-registered WorldTour team.

"It's true that the team's future after 2016 is not secure yet. We're working on it. It's still a year and a half ahead but we're working on it. When we know, we know. At the moment we don't,” he told Cyclingnews.

"The team license is owned by Continuum Sports, which is owned by Andy [Rihs] and I. We are always looking for partners; that's not a secret, almost everyone in the sport is too. It's not unusual. We're happy to be with BMC at the moment and we'll continue on."

He has said that he would like more sponsorship money so he can bring in another Grand Tour rider after Tejay van Garderen scored fifth in the Tour last year and Damiano Caruso took eighth at the recent Giro. Dan Martin, Rigoberto Uran and Richie Porte have all been linked with the team. Ochowicz says the team aren’t looking for lots of riders in the offseason.

"We have already a big roster for 2016 with the riders we have under contract. We're not out shopping for a dozen riders, maybe one or two will come to the team and that will be a sufficient number to keep us in play."