IAM Cycling’s work cut out at Tour du Portugal

“The extreme heat can potentially cause us a lot of problems.”

Marcello Albasini, IAM Cycling directeur sportif along with Kjell Carlström, did not hide his concerns regarding the challenges the team will soon face in Portugal.

“It is a hot place normally, but there is a real heat wave going on now, where it stays near 100 degrees as late as 9 pm!  The conditions will be the same for everyone, but that has not dissuaded us from taking some precautionary steps.  Among other things, we will have ice baths for our riders’ legs as soon as they cross the finish line.” 

To compete in the longest stage race of IAM Cycling’s first season, the sports management has brought a mix of young riders as well as those who are more experienced.  Marcello Albasini explained their reasoning.

“We want to give Aregger, Fumeaux as well as Schelling the opportunity to hone their craft without being under any enormous pressure to perform, and with the thought of 2014 preparations already in mind.  That does not mean, though, that we come to the race without any clear ambitions.  We have additional assets with guys like Marcel Wyss, Reto Hollenstein, Aleksejs Saramotins and Sébastien Hinault.  But the competition will naturally be fierce with not only a strong World Tour contingent there, but also Pro Continental Portuguese teams that will be anxious not to be out-performed in their own back yard.  We’ll have our work cut out for us because Portugal is far from being a flat country.  Two summit finishes and a 35 kilometer individual time trial on the penultimate day will go a long ways to deciding who will be the winner once we arrive in Viseu.”

Volta Portugal – line up

Directeurs Sportifs  Marcello Albasini – Kjell Carlström

More info about the race  volta-portugal.com