IAM have announced their team for the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.

“The Tour of the Basque Country, or Vuelta al País Vasco, is one of the most difficult races in the world,” says Larry Warbasse.  “There are two main reasons for this.  First, the Basque region has a lot of climbs with really impressive gradients.  That is maybe what surprises us most.  They are never very long, but when you have the sort of walls in front of you that you’ll find there, it may at times seem insurmountable.  And then the race is, for the most part, subject to suffering from some awful weather conditions.  It rains frequently, and racing in those sorts of conditions certainly is tough on the body.”

“I started my serious training by spending 17 days in the Sierra Nevada,” Warbasse, who comes from America, explained.  “It was just before the Tour of Catalonia.  Initially, I was preparing mainly for the Giro, but I had been feeling pretty great this past week at the race, so I decided to set myself some goals at the Tour of the Basque Country.  It is an opportunity for me to show what I can do in the mountains.”

“Our ambition it to win a stage,” directeur sportif Kjell Carlström succinctly summarized.  “The race is extremely hard.  And this year we are not coming to this event with a team tailored for the general classification.  In order to come away with a victory, it will be necessary to anticipate the moves.  Being active and never surrendering are two key mottos we intend to apply to our racing.  Getting into the breakaways will also be a way for us to have a chance at success.”   

“The roads of the Basque Country are often narrow and winding," continued Carlström, the DS from Finland. “In order not to get caught out, you have to race always at the front.  There is no room to wait.  The steep gradients and the rain are also particular difficulties of this event. We must therefore always be vigilant.  Larry Warbasse proved in Catalonia that he is in shape.  We can count on him.  The other riders from the team like David Tanner, Stefan Denifl, and Jonathan Fumeaux are also getting back to a good level.”

The race organizers have tweaked the route this year to add a little more spice.  They decided to move the queen stage, which usually takes place on Thursday, to Friday. “Logically, the favorites will have to fight for victory at Eibar,” Carlström confirmed.  “But with the time trial following the next day, it will mean that everyone will have to give a primary consideration to their recovery.  Otherwise, we should watch out for some surprises on the last stage.”

Line-up:

Marcel Aregger (S)

Clément Chevrier (Fr)

Stef Clement (Ned)

Stefan Denifl (Aut)

Jonathan Fumeaux (S)

Pirmin Lang (S)

David Tanner (Aus)

Larry Warbasse (USA)