Having used the race to get back into competition mode after the Tour de France, IAM left the Tour du Limousin with mixed emotions. On one hand, Sylvain Chavanel and Heinrich Haussler improved their condition but on the other Sebastien Reichenbach and Jerome Pineau were both forced to abandon.

The Tour de Limousine ended with a stage to Limoges where Manuel Belletti (Androni Giocattoli) won the stage and Mauro Finetto (Neri Sottoli) claimed the overall.  Missing key riders largely due to injury, IAM Cycling was unable to defend Martin Elmiger’s victory that they had earned last year.  The race, which acted for many on the team as the first taste of competition post-Tour de France, nevertheless proved useful for riders like Sylvain Chavanel and Heinrich Haussler when looking forward to the rest of the season.   

Eddy Seigneur, one of the directeurs sportifs along with Kjell Carlström, was transparent when discussing what had been a very difficult week for the team. 

“Sylvain Chavanel gave his best efforts when attacking, particularly with an eye to being a force at the upcoming Tour du Poitou-Charentes and the GP de Plouay.  Likewise, Heinrich Haussler has built up a number of high-level efforts during this race and has recovered his good form after having suffered the intestinal problems that he picked up at the end of the Tour. 

"Unfortunately, we only finished with four riders since Jérôme Pineau (knee) and Sébastien Reichenbach (toothache) were forced to retire.  So I am torn between having had the satisfaction of seeing Chavanel and Haussler progress so well with an eye to the next races and the disappointment of seeing multiple riders end up in the sick bay.”