Scott Sports sponsors Switzerland's new IAM Cycling

The new Swiss Professional Continental team IAM Cycling will race next season on Scott bikes. Scott and IAM Cycling announced their partnership Monday morning.

IAM Cycling will be based in Geneva, Switzerland, about 140km away from Scott's European headquarters in Givisiez. The close proximity will allow for quick feedback on prototype bikes Scott plans to test with the team. IAM Cycling general manager Michel Thétaz said he hopes IAM Cycling will eventually join cycling's elite WorldTour division.

"We are more than excited to work with IAM Cycling," said Scott Sports vice president Pascal Ducrot. "We believe in fostering young talent and working closely with our teams on product development. With Orica-GreenEdge and this new Swiss team riding for us, we are able to achieve these goals and push ourselves further than ever before."

IAM Cycling will race Scott's Foil in road races and the Plasma 3 for time trials. Both bikes have been aerodynamically engineered to reduce drag.

"On the bike the elements are always against you, with the wind trying to slow you or a climb trying to break you," Ducrot said. "For many years, time trial bikes, such as the as Plasma 3, have reaped the benefits of aerodynamics to beat the wind and now our Scott Foil maximizes the use of that technology on a road bike to get an advantage against the elements and the competition. Our aero science engineers have gone to great lengths to get the aerodynamics of the Foil perfect."

IAM Cycling was created by the Geneva asset management company Independent Asset Management. The 2013 squad includes riders such as Thomas Löfkvist, Heinrich Haussler and Johan Tschopp.