The 10th edition of the Tour of Britain ended with a stage in the heart of London on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people enthusiastically welcomed the peloton through the 11 laps of the 8km circuit. 

And the ovation proved to be even more memorable for the winners of the day, first Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) for the stage, and then Sir Bradley Wiggins (Sky) with the overall win. In this context and “very British” ending, the IAM Cycling team still pulled out a satisfying result with Matteo Pelucchi taking 4th place for the stage, along with the Swiss team’s 2nd place in the team standing, and the points classification thanks to Martin Elmiger’s consistency throughout the week. To top that off, the man from Zug in Switzerland snagged a remarkable 2nd place overall, just half a minute behind Wiggins. 

Before heading to Italy and the Worlds, Elmiger reflected on his Tour of Britain performance and compared finishing in 2nd place behind the 2012 Tour de France winner his recent victory at the Tour du Limousin.

“A win is a win, and we always start to win. The victory in Limousin gave me a lot of confidence and satisfaction, but I am happier with the way I rode in the Tour of Britain. Regarding the result, the 2nd place becomes more valuable because we were racing 8 days with a time trial as well as the sprint stages and a summit finish at the top of a difficult climb. “

Elmiger also found the time to rate the performance of the team in the Tour of Britain.

“Everyone, including me, has gained experience. Not everything is perfect yet, but you don’t build a team in one day. Everyone certainly pulls in the same direction. And we all enjoy each other’s company, drinking coffee together in the evening. In the stages it feels like everyone is working well together and for his team-mate. This is the recipe for success and it made me happy to feel so strongly for this event.”

Looking beyond the Tour of Britain and into the future, Elmiger also outlined how the team can improve, and what will help it improve and grow in 2014.

“Recruiting riders like [Sylvain] Chavanel and [Matthias] Frank will give us yet another dimension. Everyone is waiting to see what we’ll do, since it is difficult to reaffirm the initial success of a first season. Though a guy like Sébastien Reichenbach was practically ready to quit cycling at the end of 2012 if IAM Cycling hadn’t come along to give him a place, he is now recognized as one of the best riders with the brightest future, not only for our team but for all of Swiss cycling. “

On Wednesday Elmiger leaves for Florence to race in the World Championships. He will be an integral part of a Swiss team built around Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Leopard).

“I will definitely have the status as road captain for the team, but I am 100% committed to helping Fabian win. With my current legs, I can imagine that we will ride an excellent race.”