With Heinrich Haussler sprinting to a fine 6th place behind winner Fabian Cancellara, the brand new IAM Cycling team landed their first top 10 in a monument in today's Tour of Flanders. Several team riders were present in the front group towards the end of the race, and the team was happy to see their squad make its mark in the biggest races just months after its debut.

IAM Cycling has been the big winner among the professional continental teams in the fight for wild cards for the WorldTour races. Heinrich Haussler has justified the team's inclusion with a 13th place in Milan-Sanremo, an 11th place in E3 and a 4th place in the Gent-Wevelgem, and today's 6th place was another confirmation of the team's ability to fight with the best.

Actually, the German-born Australian had hoped to feature even more prominent in the final, but a strong headwind on the final run-in from the last climb of the Paterberg forced him to rely on his sprint.

 “I am satisfied with my day even if I wanted to attack after the Paterberg," he said."  But I was alone at that moment, and there was too much wind to hope to make it stick.”

The team's veteran, Sebastien Hinault, was another IAM rider who featured prominently in the race. After the second passage of the Paterberg, the Frenchman instigated a 5-man move which caught the early breakaway, and he entered the Oude Kwaremont as part of the race's front group.

He was the last rider to get dropped by eventual podium finisher Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) and fought valiantly to stay in Haussler's group. He failed in his attempt, but - keeping in mind that a crash in Paris-Nice interrupted his preparation - the Frenchman was happy with his performance.

 “I was feeling good and saw that it would be a good time to make a try for an escape," he said. "I took five guys with me and we had a good dig for a while.  I had hoped to be there more at the finish for Heinrich, but I was overwhelmed that last time up the Paterberg which is a shame.”

Another of the team's veterans, Martin Elmiger, was seen doing a great job to keep Haussler protected in the latter part of the race. He had to let go on the final passage of the Oude Kwaremont, bud was impressed by the team's strengt throughout the day.

“We really had a great race," he said. " I had to let go of the group on the last climb up the Kwaremont.  But the team really gave its all.”

Team manager Serge Beucherie was one of the brave men to set up the new Swiss cycling project. Unsurprisingly, he was happy to see how far the team had come in such a short span of time.

“I am very proud of them; the team really showed its strength with multiple riders there at the final,” the proud manager explained.

Those sentiments were echoed by sports director Eddy Seigneur.

“Today we figured prominently in the race and forced RadioShack to do the bulk of the work," he said. "The riders followed their instructions and we had Heinrich in the good position he needed for the final.  I take my hat off to them.  Chapeau!”

The team's classics riders hopes to continue their impressive entrance on the biggest cycling scene in next Sunday's Paris-Roubaix where Heinrich Haussler hopes to repeat his top 10 result from the 2009 edition of the Hell of the North.