The World Tour is back in Europe. After a trip to Australia for the Tour Down Under, the international peloton will return to France to fight at the highest levels at Paris-Nice.  With two time trials, a summit finish and a stage that will invite echelons fighting the wind, the 73rd edition of the Paris-Nice will represent the first major objective for many riders this year. 

“We’ll definitely get into the thick of it,” Michel Thétaz, CEO of IAM Funds and the founder of the team, confirmed.  “This is the first time this season that we will be so close geographically to our fan base, so we will of course be expected to perform well.  With this in mind, we have put together our strongest squad, our dream team, so to speak.  We will have Sylvain Chavanel, who recently showed himself well even on the hardest climbs, as well as Mathias Frank, who is naturally more comfortable in the mountains.  We’ll also have very good road captains with Dries Devenyns and Jérôme Pineau.  In any case, we know the competition at Paris-Nice will be spicy.”
 
Nevertheless, the IAM Cycling team will not be going to the race trying to bite off more than it can chew at this point. Thétaz realizes it is important for the team to be realistic. 

“Paris-Nice is a race that we take very seriously.  Of course we are going there trying to win, but wins can come in different forms.  This is not yet the peak of the season.  We are coming in the hopes particularly to see how versatile our riders are.  The idea is to see how they react and perform over varied terrain.  If we are in a position to play for the win, then yes, we will.  But that is not our top priority,” Michel Thétaz explained.