Sylvain Chavanel may be the rider that should make sure that IAM is invited to next year's Tour de France. According to Het Nieuwsblad, the Frenchman has signed a 2-year contract with the ambitious Swiss team which is also likely to bolster its squad of climbers with the addition of Mathias Frank.

There has been much speculation about Sylvain Chavanel's future but according to Het Nieuwsblad, they will all come to an end tomorrow when IAM will present the Frenchman as their new star rider for next season. Yesterday, the team invited to a press conference tomorrow at 11am local time to announce their reinforcements of its roster and according to the Belgian paper, Chavanel will be the main addition.

The Frenchman may have been frustrated by his role in this year's Tour de France where the presence of Mark Cavendish left him with very little possibilities in the lumpy stages that suit his capabilities. At the same time, he has mostly been overshadowed by Tom Boonen in the cobbled classics in which he has shown his potential by finishing 2nd in the 2011 Tour of Flanders.

The transfer would be a logical one as IAM hopes to ride the Tour de France next year. The ambitious Swiss team missed out on a wild card this season but the addition of one of the major French stars would certainly go a long way in securing an invitation to the world's biggest event. Net Nieuwsblad also reports that close friend Jerome Pineau will join him on his new team while Kevin Hulsmans could make the jump from his current Vini Fantini team.

The team is also set to bolster its squad of climbers by adding Mathias Frank to its roster. The Swiss almost won his big home race, the Tour de Suisse, when he wore the leader's jersey until the time trial on the final day. He most recently won yesterday's stage of the USA Pro Challenge and would love to get a bit more freedom compared to his current role as a domestique on the strong BMC team.