With no Grand Tour wildcards, the Tour de Suisse will arguably be the biggest race of the year for newly-formed IAM Cycling.

The Swiss team has picked a squad consisting of no less than five Swiss riders: Martin Elmiger, Reto Hollenstein, Sébastien Reichenbach, Johann Tschopp and Marcel Wyss. The team is completed by Stefan Denifl, Heinrich Haussler and Thomas Löfkvist.

“On paper, we have a very strong team that can set goals not only to win stages, but also to be realistic contenders for the general classification,” commented sports director Serge Beucherie. “This does not mean we have underestimated the events like the Garmin Pro Race of Berlin and the Tour of Luxembourg, whose dates coincide with the Tour of Switzerland on the racing calendar. But this is our national tour, and as a major objective on our calendar, we have to bring our best team possible.”

The team counts on in-form Haussler, recent winner of the final stage of the Bayern-Rundfahrt, Denifl, who won the best climber’s jersey in Bavaria, Elmiger, Hollenstein and Reichenbach to animate the race and win stages, while Löfkvist, Tschopp and Wyss have hopes of performing throughout the race and finish high in the general classification.

The Tour de Suisse runs from the 8th of June to the 16th of June.

IAM Cycling squad for the Tour de Suisse: Stefan Denifl (AUT), Martin Elmiger (SUI), Heinrich Haussler (AUS), Reto Hollenstein (SUI), Thomas Löfkvist (SWE), Sébastien Reichenbach (SUI), Johann Tschopp (SUI), Marcel Wyss (SUI).