Sébastien Reichenbach stays with the greats at the Dauphiné

Christopher Froome (Sky) again managed to demonstrate his superiority during the second stage of the Dauphiné Libéré.  Having already won yesterday which gave him the honor of wearing the leader’s yellow jersey, the Englishman reached the summit of the col du Béal in front of Alberto Contador.

In the midst of this grand battle, IAM Cycling proved once again that it could be competitive in the big league.  First, Matthias Brändle joined the day’s main break with four other riders, and stayed at the front of the race for over 140 kilometers, dealing with scorching heat.  The five escapees were absorbed on the lower levels of the final climb by the thinned out group which contained the race favorites.

From there, it was the 25 year old Sébastien Reichenbach’s turn to prove the extent of his talent.  The Swiss rider managed to stay within sneezing distance of the elite lead group, yielding only 44 seconds on the back of the Froome-Contador duel.

Finishing 9^th on the stage and moving into 11^th overall, Reichenbach reacted with his usual modesty on having just ridded a perfect race for the first mountain test.

“I am satisfied with this second hard day.  It was very hot today.  And it happened on a stage with a summit finish.  Sky set the tempo at the foot of the final climb.  With 5 kilometers to go, Froome attacked and caused the main selection.  I was in 15^th position at that point, and the break forced me to put in a big effort.  I never really managed the bridge completely, and my finish was as good as I could have done.  But I am nevertheless satisfied with how I’m feeling.”

Eddy Seigneur, acting as directeur sportif along with Rubens Bertogliati, expressed his satisfaction after another good day of racing for IAM Cycling.

“We did not originally plan to go in the break.  But Matthias Brändle played his cards well.  Then it was just a battle to stay hydrated since it was very hot out there.  Sébastien Reichenbach showed his ability fantastically.  His performance on the final climb has perhaps surprised some people, but I am not surprised because I have had other opportunities to witness his great potential.”