IAM Cycling is a Swiss registered professional cycling team founded in 2012, with its first racing season completed in 2013. That year saw them gain wild card entries to races like Paris Nice. In 2014, the team grew further with signings of big name riders such as Sylvain Chavanel and Jérôme Pineau, bolstered by wild card entries to the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.
Scott has supplied bicycles to the team since its inception. Founded in 1958 by Ed Scott, inventor of the world’s first tapered aluminum ski pole, the company has come a long way since those early days. Scott’s bicycle division is best known for its 1989 invention, the Scott aero bar, helping Greg Lemond to overall victory at the 1989 Tour de France by a scant margin over Laurent Fignon. Scott’s latest innovation is the 2016 Foil, designed to be more aerodynamic and comfortable than previous editions, yet retain lateral stiffness that the Foil is known for. Aleksejs Saramotins pilots this particular Foil, and is the current Latvian National Road Race Champion. Incidentally, he has won that title six times, and represented Latvia at the Olympic Games and World Championships. More about Aleksejs’ bike…
With Shimano supplying the lion’s share of drivetrains to professional cycling teams in the 2016 season, it is no surprise to see IAM Cycling toting the company’s premium offering, the 11-speed Dura-Ace Di2 electronic drivetrain.
CyclingCeramic, a fairly unknown component manufacturer, supplies ceramic bearings to the team in the form of bottom brackets and rear derailleur pulley wheels.
German company SRM supplies power measuring equipment to the team. For Aleksejs, he utilizes the now superseded PC7 head unit in conjunction with SRM’s integrated Shimano Dura-Ace crank solution.
With IAM Cycling’s roots, it is only natural for Swiss-based wheel manufacturer, DT Swiss, to supply the team’s wheelsets. At the 2016 Tour Down Under, many of the team’s riders chose the RC 55 Spline T Tubular wheelset.
Touted as a wheelset for flat or mixed terrain riding, the RC 55 T features bladed, straight-pull spokes, DT Spline ratchet hub and a claimed manufacturer’s weight of 1405 grams for both wheels.
A DT RWS skewer in anodized red keeps the RC 55 T front wheel safely attached to the Foil’s fork.
IAM Cycling joins the throng of teams supplied by Continental Tires, with the flagship edition, PRO LTD version of the Competition tire provided to the team.
While the Scott Foil is offered with a Syncros fully integrated stem and handlebar solution, Aleksejs chooses regular non-aero handlebars to compliment his Syncros Aero RR 1.0 stem.
Like other team bikes spotted, IAM Cycling’s mechanics stick with the external Di2 junction A box, and use heat shrink tubing to guide the wiring along the rear brake housing until it enters the frame at the top of the downtube. Simplicity and accessibility are key to keeping mechanics happy when they are on the road.
Being an aero bike, Scott’s Foil is among those that position the rear brake below and behind the bottom bracket.
While the aerodynamic benefits of a re-positioned rear brake are questionable to some, it does make for an aesthetically cleaner rear triangle when viewed from the side or behind. Companies like Scott also claim that the location of the brake on the chain stays allows for a more supple carbon layup to be used on the seat stays.
Below, the rear brake cable exits towards the bottom of the downtube, curving beneath the bottom bracket shell.
Scott choose the direct mount interface for mounting Shimano’s Dura-Ace front brake.
Aleksejs Saramotins sits atop a Syncros FL 1.0 saddle, mounted to the company namesake single-bolt seatpost.
Elite’s popular Cannibal carbon bottle cage, painted in team colors, keep water bottles nice and secure.
Aleksejs Saramotins didn’t set any records at the 2016 Tour Down Under, with a best stage finish of 16th on Stage 1, and 110th place overall, 33:37 down on 2016 Tour Down Under winner, Simon Gerrans. However, with the Tour Down Under being a season-opening race for many of the European-based pros, one can expect much more from Aleksejs and IAM Cycling during the 2016 season.
Photos and article by Gravel Cyclist.
Jayson O’Mahoney is the Gravel Cyclist: A website about the Gravel Cycling Experience.
