Swiss team IAM send French maverick Sylvain Chavanel to this year’s Tour de France with a free role and will try and place homegrown talent Mathias Frank in the top 10.
“We’re going with an opportunist team wanting at least one stage win and which will protect one rider in the overall,” said team manager Rik Verbrugghen as he unveiled his nine man line-up on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Frank has targeted a top-10 spot in the past two Tours de France, but had to pull out on both occasions.
For his part, Chavanel has won three stages on the Tour and even at 35 years old he will be involved in multiple breakaways and can be counted on for relentless combativity.
The team has opted to race without a sprinter, but have a very handy roller in Austria’s 25-year-old Mattias Brändle, who held the one-hour track record for three months this winter.
IAM team for the Tour de France:
Matthias Brändle (AUT), Sylvain Chavanel (FRA), Stef Clement (NED), Jerome Coppel (FRA), Martin Elmiger (SUI), Mathias Frank (SUI), Reto Hollenstein (SUI), Jarlinson Pantano (COL), Marcel Wyss (SUI)
– Agence France-Presse
