12 February 2014
IAM Cycling
The Valais, a canton in the French part of Switzerland, has offered excellent conditions this winter to aid in Sébastien Reichenbachs preparation for his second year as a professional. He is ready and exited to start his 2014 season, which should be promising in every respect.
This is a great route for the Tour of the Mediterranean. I see that two stages are nudging upwards of 200 kilometers each. There is an 18 kilometer individual time trial and the last day is a summit finish. That means there will be plenty to do.
However, it will be very important to remain vigilant. In the first few races of any season, everyone is nervous and that can cause crashes within the peloton. Riders arrive with the knife between their teeth, ready to rack up some results. The sprints can be fast and furious. But the overall victory will be decided on the final stage. Arriving at the top of Mont Faron will separate the victor from the pretenders.
Since returning from his training camp with IAM Cycling in Mallorca, Reichenbach, who hails from the town of Martigny, has been able to take many extensive rides over his favorite roads.
With the exception of one day when I had intestinal issues, I have been able to prepare myself without any problems. I could follow my training program to the letter and increased the training intensity.
Frankly, the sensations are really good. The legs are turning well, and now after nearly three months of training, the time has come to test my progress in real world conditions. Nothing replaces the rhythm that comes from being in competition. Its been long coming. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to target a repeat of last year.
Remembering that IAM Cycling won the 2013 edition when Thomas Löfkvist bagged the overall victory ahead of Jean-Christophe Peraud thanks to his ride in the time trial, Sébastien Reichenbach will certainly give his best effort to help the team in its title defense.
