Swiss IAM Project takes shape with Tour of Utah winner Tschopp

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Recent Tour of Utah winner Johan Tschopp has signed with the developing Swiss IAM Cycling Project team according to Le Matin. The team is said to be applying to a Pro Continental license and has a three-year sponsorship agreement. According to IAM company founder Michel Thiétaz, the team will have a roster of "20 riders, half of them Swiss."

IAM is a Swiss funds management company who "are not interested in golf or sailing. Our passion is cycling," said Thiétaz on Blick.ch. Swiss rider Tschopp is currently the highest profile signing as he moves from the BMC Racing Team after two years with the US-registered ProTeam.

Former French national road race champion and four-time Tour de France rider Serge Beucherie will manage the team which has already signed a number of local riders - a large portion coming from the Atlas Personal-Jakroo squad. Marcel Aregger, Jonathan Fumeaux and Patrick Schelling will join for 2013 while former Atlas rider Sebastien Reichenbach is also on board.

Gabriel Rasch (FDJ-BigMat), Reto Hollenstein (Team NetApp), Marcel Wyss (Team NetApp) and Sébastien Hinault (AG2R) are the other riders who have inked deals with the team while Rémi Cusin (Team Type 1) and Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis) are out of contract at the end of 2012 and have signaled their intentions on joining according to L’Equipe.

The team will look to receive wildcard invitations to Tour de Suisse and Tour de Romandie.