The IAM Cycling team is returning to Spain, and once again will be tackling the steep climbs of the Iberian mountains. Having recently competed in the Ruta del Sol where the Swiss professional team managed to make some waves, IAM Cycling will now move its attentions to Catalonia, again with their own ambitions. 

“Perhaps we are not among the top names in the pack, but we will still have definite goals,” directeur sportif Mario Chiesa confirmed.  “The riders are coming off a block of races where they experienced harsh climatic conditions, so everything will depend on how is their form, first and foremost.  But we certainly have the talent to try and ride for a top-10 position with Jérôme Coppel for example.  We also have Jarlinson Pantano for the summit finishes as well as Clément Chevrier, who is a very young rider, so we can see how he performs.  And then finally we will also have Matteo Pelucchi who will be our man for the sprints, and the rest of the group will be there to give him a hand.”
 
Bringing both climbers and sprint specialists, the IAM Cycling crew for the Tour of Catalonia will be very eclectic.  But the hardest sections may not even be the climbs or the sprints exclusively; rather the troubles can come from the course’s variation of profile over many days.  

“It is true there are very hard stages,” Chiesa noted.  “But sometimes the biggest challenges come in the middle stages, for example.  In those moments, the key will be to conserve energy for the finishes.”
 
Riders:
Clément Chevrier (Fr)
Jerôme Coppel (Fr)
Martin Elmiger (S)
Jarlinson Pantano (Col)
Simon Pellaud (S)
Matteo Pelluchi (It)
Larry Warbasse (USA)
Marcel Wyss (S)