Michel Thetaz, founder of IAM Cycling, has used the first rest day of the Vuelta a Espana to outline the future goals for his team. The Swiss expects the team to sign 5-6 riders to support Mathias Frank in stage races and doesn't rule out stepping up to WorldTour level even though it's not the plan for the near future.

IAM Cycling took full advantage of the first rest day, which they spent near the town of Zaragoza.  The eight riders who are still in the race, after Aleksejs Saramotins was forced to abandon following a crash on stage 7, went for a 90 minute spin of the legs. 

The day before, they had met up at their hotel with Michel Thétaz, the founder of IAM Cycling and the CEO of IAMFUNDS.CH, who came to congratulate them on the good start they have had in the Tour of Spain.  The team’s score card includes a 2nd place and an 8th place by Vincente Reynes, a 4th place for Johann Tschopp, a 10th place for Matteo Pelucchi and a 12th place for Sébastien Hinault. 

Before leaving to return to Geneva, Thétaz took the time to answer several questions regarding the team’s Vuelta campaign as well as the rider transfer landscape IAM Cycling is now contemplating.
 
Michel Thétaz, what is your assessment for the team’s first part of the Tour of Spain?
-  The balance sheet is telling.  We must remember that we came to the Vuelta with a young team.  Riders are here to learn to manage themselves and their efforts while proving their qualities for next season where they may be called on to support a leader in different circumstances.
 
Vincente Reynes’ two very strong placings must mean a lot considering the health issues he faced throughout much of the first part of the season.
-  The high finishes are an honor and I am delighted.  But I would like to emphasis the fact that the whole IAM Cycling culture has been respected throughout his troubles.  If Vincente Reynes has regained all his former good feelings, it is because the medical monitoring and treatment that he received was the best possible treatment that could have been given.  We want our riders to receive the best possible support in order to return to the top.
 
What are your expectations for the rest of this Vuelta considering you do not have a leader capable of fighting for a high overall position?
-  The second and third weeks will be difficult with mountain stages, which are always demanding in the Tour of Spain.  We have already fulfilled our performance contract for this race, but we are determined to continue our momentum.  Our strategy will be to allow Johann Tschopp to be a free agent with the goal to ride to victory on whichever stage that may suit him.  I hope it will bear fruit and that we will fulfill our ultimate goals for this Vuelta.
 
IAM Cycling is also enjoy success on a second front, particularly with Sylvain Chavanel’s victory at the GP Plouay this past Sunday.  What will you expect from the team for the rest of the season?
-  Sylvain’s WorldTour victory is a crowning achievement for us.  I am delighted and it proves how well this team works together.  Even if the season is not over, we have provided a good end.  It is also a prelude to how we will like to show ourselves in the upcoming season.
 
Where will you be looking to recruit for next year considering the market may be getting tight and expensive with teams like MTN-Qhubeka also looking to reinforce their ranks?
-  I am pleased to see IAM Cycling’s example followed.  Last year, we went out and enticed Sylvain Chavanel and Mathias Frank to join us.  We want to get better still, but it will take the infusion of five or six riders to come and strengthen the contingent of riders we expect to have for our stage races.  And we are in the process of doing that.
 
Let’s talk about IAM Cycling’s upcoming third season in the professional peloton.  Are you still not interested in joining the WorldTour given your results?
-  Before talking about the 2015 season, I have to say that we will not participate, as we originally planned, in the team time trial World Championships which are scheduled for the 21st of September in Ponferrada.  Injuries and absences of several of our specialists in time trialling have led us to abandon that goal.  This is only a postponement, but we did not want to line up for the race simply to participate.  Now, as I said from the beginning, we are not going to change our stance regarding the WorldTour at this point.  We race so well at the Pro Continental level that everyone wants to put us in the WorldTour, but this is not our intention.  That does not mean that we just observe the movements and deaths of teams.  Given our size and our quality, we hope to earn invitations to the races to which we will certainly request entrance.  But we will remain attentive to the reforms of the UCI and will prepare accordingly.      
 
Will you be looking to find a co-sponsor in the event of a promotion to the next level?
-  We are being more active in this area.  Time is flying by and the riders are responsible to prove that they deserve to continue.  We are looking and trying to persuade a co-sponsor to join.  If that happens, we could imagine that maybe by 2016 we’ll have a co-sponsor, knowing already that the 2015 season will have still the single sponsor.
 
Does that mean that IAM Cycling could stop at the end of next season?
-  IAM Cycling is not a shooting star in professional cycling.  Three years is already a long lease.  Currently, all options should be considered, unfortunately including the notion that IAM Cycling may disappear.