Classic success plus Tour de France participation important goals for Swiss squad
Targeting participation in the Tour de France plus one other Grand Tour, and also Classic and stage win successes in 2014, the IAM Cycling team unveiled its new look jersey and this year’s squad in Geneva today.
The Swiss team has made some important signings in advance of year two of the project, with French Classic specialist Sylvain Chavanel one of the most prominent of those. In addition to that, the team has signed 2013 Tour de Suisse race leader and USA Pro Challenge runner-up Mathias Frank plus past Giro d’Italia stage winner Jérôme Pineau.
“To confirm our results from 2013, which means we need go a step further, it was important to target our new additions carefully,” said the team manager Serge Beucherie. “To this end, we recruited Sylvain Chavanel, Roger Kluge and Vincente Reynes for our classics campaign. We believe we can play to win big considering the quality of the staff that we have involved for these one-day Classics.
“The same goes for our stage race ambitions with the arrivals of Mathias Frank and Jérôme Pineau, the latter of whom brings a rich knowledge of how best to ride Grand Tours.”
He accepted that the team would not be a contender for the final Maillot Jaune, but believes it deserves consideration for the top races when wildcards are handed out.
“We do not claim that we have the winner of the Tour de France in our ranks. But we do have a healthy situation where experienced guys like Elmiger, Hinault and Tschopp will be invaluable support for Matthias Brändle, Sébastien Reichenbach and Marcel Wyss,” he said.
“We also believe in adding complementary strengths in our riders, as the teaming of Sylvain Chavanel and Heinrich Haussler racing the Classics together will display. They are two great champions who respect and appreciate the other. They will raise the IAM Cycling colors high when combining their talents racing the Classics. Since each knows the other’s strengths, there will be no conflict.”
The team’s evolution is also underlined by a new look for 2014, with a redesigned jersey underlining the Swiss identity. It notched up twelve wins in its debut season and now plans to ramp up the successes in year two. The riders will hone their form at a training camp until January 22nd in Mallorca, then will knuckle down to racing.
Team owner Michel Thétaz said that his goal in backing the team via his IAM Funds company was to build things gradually and progressively.
“Patience, discipline, judgment and vision have been my watchwords for over twenty years. I vowed to myself that I would take the time to launch this cycling team properly,” he said. “Today I am very proud to see that my personal values are so well advocated by the riders and all the staff. Twelve victories in our first year provide solid proof.
“In addition to that, the messages of support and congratulations that we receive only confirms that we are on the right path. And we will never deviate from so successful of a road.”
Thétaz said that the expansion of the project would also see the backing of the IAM Junior Challenge in Switzerland, something which will help the domestic scene.
International professional racing is, however, the biggest focus.
“As we can not lay claim to being the new kids on the block, our goals will be higher and broader than they were in the first year,” he asserted. “We have real ambitions for the spring Classics, but we also will strive to take part in one or even two Grand Tours, of which the Tour de France is the main priority. We have the means to achieve such success.
“With a staff of 60 people, including 25 riders, we are approaching the level of a World Tour team.”