Belgian press reports suggest that Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) is bound for Swiss-based UCI Professional Continental outfit, IAM Cycling in 2014.
Chavanel has been offered a two-year deal by team owner, Michel Thetaz, according to nieuwsblad.be.
Contacted by Eurosport, Chavanel confirmed that he was set to leave Omega Pharma-QuickStep at the end of the season but refused to reveal the name of his new squad, saying only that he was joining "a team that will announce the news on Thursday."
IAM Cycling is set to hold a press conference on Thursday to unveil their plans for the coming season. Het Nieuwsblad speculates that Chavanel would also bring Jérôme Pineau from QuickStep and Kevin Hulsmans who currently rides with Vini Fantini-Selle Italia.
The Pro Continental outfit in its first season missed out on invitations to all three grand tours and its hoped that a bolstered roster with the likes of Chavanel would greatly improve their chances of receiving them in the future.
Chavanel has enjoyed sensational form throughout season 2013, winning Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, his national time trial championship along with a consistent spring which included top-five performances at Paris-Nice, where he won the points classification, Milan–San Remo and Brabantse Pijl. At the Tour de France he had two top-10 finishes before going on to win the time trial at the Eneco Tour last week.
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