“The popular enthusiasm is so amazing in Belgium that I am always happy to race there.” 

 

Martin Elmiger (35) never tires of the atmosphere at the races or the excitement of joining the breakaways on the Flanderian or Walloonian roads. 

 

“This is a country of cycling where people live for these moments.  And at the Tour of Flanders, which is one of the greatest races anywhere, the fervor is beyond anything we can imagine.  You just have to race here one time to realize what it means.  For me, Le Ronde is a wonderful challenge but it’s important to have good legs because chasing after the best can quickly become a Stations of the Cross.”

 

After having completed a long reconnaissance of over 4 hours covering nearly 140 kilometers, the IAM Cycling pro believes he is in good shape, and hopes he can prove that by the finish in Oudenaarde. 

 

“In addition to a great team, you must have good legs, the ability to position yourself well, and a little bit of luck.  If you manage to avoid crashing and puncturing, you are already in a good position.  And then it still means you have to race 260 kilometers over 17 climbs. 

 

"Of course these climbs are different from the ones you find in Switzerland, but the repetition of the climbs, the severe percentages and the pavés increase the difficulty.” 

 

The Swiss road captain from Zug confirmed his good form 48 hours before the race. 

 

“Personally I feel good.  I recovered well from my efforts at Milan-San Remo and the GP E3.  The strategy is not yet known; I just hope to be able to do my job for the team.  IAM Cycling certainly has the capability to light up Le Ronde.” 

 

Sylvain Chavanel (F), Martin Elmiger (S), Heinrich Haussler (Aus), Sébastien Hinault (F), Dominic Klemme (All), Roger Kluge (All), Jérôme Pineau (F), Aleksejs Saramotins (Let).