IAM has had a hard first Vuelta a Espana. The team is down to just 5 riders and today the team was again anonymous in the queen stage.

IAM Cycling had another tough day on the queen stage of the Tour of Spain, which was won by race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).  The pro from Pinto was strong enough to tail off Christopher Froome (Sky) with 500 meters to go in order to consolidate his lead in the overall standings. 

The riders from the Swiss Pro Continental team struggled to make it through the last ten kilometers of the stage, which was marked by 4640 vertical meters of climbing over a 160 kilometer route.  Again, Vicente Reynes came through the best of the group, though hampered by a cold, in 82nd place 26’50” behind the day’s winner. 

Pirmin Lang, meanwhile, arrived in a gruppetto at 34’44” back, comprised of no fewer than 48 riders which included his teammates Jonathan Fumeaux and Marcel Aregger.  Lang nevertheless was willing to describe his day of misery. 

“The level at the Tour of Spain is incredible.  We are riding à bloc the entire time, even in the gruppetto.  This may sound easy on TV, and everyone may wonder why we’re not making it into breaks.  But you have to see the reality of what is happening.  

"The teammates of the leaders are already driving the pace very hard in order to make it into a break, and then you have to keep a high level of watts for a seriously long time.  And then if you are back in the pack, once the road starts to go up, it’s the same pressure all over again.  The gruppetto forms quickly and then we still have to work hard to hang on so as not to be dropped and risk finishing outside the time limit.  I certainly will enjoy a day off tomorrow.”