Mathias Frank will return to racing after his horrific crash in the Tour de France when he lines up at the Tour du Jura and Tour du Doubs this weekend. He is part of a strong IAM team that goes into both races as defending champions.

IAM Cycling will be racing on no fewer than three fronts this weekend.  In addition to all the riders still competing at the Tour of Spain and the Tour of Britain, a third team lead by directeur sportif Marcello Albasini will head to the Tour du Jura and the Tour du Doubs. 

They will line-up with the high hopes of repeating their successes from last year where Matthias Brändle and Aleksejs Saramotins came away with the respective wins in the hilly races, both of which are held in the Jura. 

Though Brändle, currently racing in the Tour of Britain, will miss his chance to defend his title at the Tour du Jura, Saramotins will be racing both races this weekend since he was forced to abandon the Tour of Spain after a heavy crash.

Mathias Frank will also be returning to racing following a crash, though for him, the Jura races will mark a comeback after having crashed out of the Tour de France’s 7th stage to Nancy with a broken femur.  Frank has found a good deal of success in 2014, particularly taking 2nd place in the Tour of Switzerland, and will be pleased to pin a racing number back onto his IAM Cycling jersey. 

“I am glad to be back.  I will not be expecting any miracles in these two races, especially in view of my long inactivity and lack of competition.  I am missing four to five weeks of racing. 

"I know very well that the first races back will be pretty difficult.  But it will do me good; it will help my mental state and getting the racing pace and rhythm back will be great.  Nothing can take the place of racing to get a sense of how you are progressing. 

"I do not feel any pain.  I just want to enjoy myself while I’m already thinking of my preparation for next season.  If all goes well, then I should be able to line up for important races like Milan-Turin and the Tour of Lombardy.”