Team focused on youth and Swiss riders for second grand tour appearance
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Part of the IAM Cycling squad that later set Pelucchi up for victory(Image credit: El Pedal de Frodo/www.elpedaldefrodo.com)
Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) on the podium(Image credit: El Pedal de Frodo/www.elpedaldefrodo.com)
Vicente Reynes (IAM Cycling) and world champion Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) chat on the start line(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Johann Tschopp IAM Cycling and I am pink(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Having made its grand tour debut at the Tour de France, Swiss Pro-Continental team IAM Cycling has named its nine riders who will compete at the Vuelta a España. The team secured its place at the third and final grand tour of 2014 through a wildcard invitation.
The team is making its debut at the Spanish grand tour and has chosen a youthful and predominantly Swiss squad for the three week race which starts in Jerez de la Frontera on August 23 with a team time trial. None of the nine-riders who will compete in the Vuelta took part in this year's Tour de France
While six of the team are making their grand tour débuts, Sébastien Hinault will be lining up for his 17th, Johann Tschopp for his 11th, Vicente Reynes for his eighth and Aleksejs Saramotins for his second. The team will have two grand tour stage winners in the squad with 40-year-old Hinault having won a stage at the Vuelta in 2008 and Tschopp at the Giro d'Italia in 2010.
Michel Thétaz, founder of IAM Cycling and CEO of IAMFUNDS.CH, has reiterated his willingness and his determination to commit to a Swiss-based team which is evident in the selection of five Swiss riders in the nine man team.
While nationality was a consideration of selection, the team added that current fitness, form and condition, along with strategic interests determined which riders were selected.
The team stated that it will look to perform in the mountains but will also look to animate the race through breakaways and in the flat stage bunch sprints.
Italian Matteo Pelucchi makes his grand tour debut at the Vuelta and the 25-year-old has shown that he is in form by calming victory on stage 2 of the Vuelta a Burgos. Pelucchi also won a stage at Tirreno-Adriatico in March.
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