Half of Israel-Premier Tech riders have expiring contracts: "Our goal is to get on the Tour de France podium"

Israel-Premier Tech's return to the WorldTour in 2026 seems almost certain. Is it a coincidence that about half the contracts expire at the end of this year? Probably not. The team has strategically maneuvered itself into a flexible position and has complete confidence in its leaders. Still, the "real star" - a top rider the team may yet need to recruit - is missing because its ambitions are big.

Finn Kjell Carlström has been the team's General Manager since 2019 and is not planning to change much about his plans, as it has proved successful. "We have been looking at that, together with the performance team, but I have to say that it's a process that has been going on for a couple of years already. I believe that we've been able to solidify the team's core and ensure we have more depth. So we can race on a better level throughout the races that we're doing. As a result, we can now perform at a higher level in different types of races. That's what we saw in 2024. We have 29 wins and eight or more came from WorldTour races," the former Liquigas and Sky Procycling rider told cycling journalist Daniel Benson.

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Blackmore 

A strong foundation to build on

The team's transfer policy will largely depend on performance in the early months of 2025. Many of the riders who will run out of contracts after 2025 are experienced veterans, and it seems likely that some of them, including Froome and Jakob Fuglsang, will end their careers at the end of the season. This is partly why the team has recruited riders like Alexey Lutsenko and Jan Hirt.

"The first part of the season will show us more about the direction to take, but we don't have to worry about immediate choices. We have already brought in some experienced riders, and there is a strong core on which we can build," the Finn said.

The Israel Premier Tech Academy's development team is part of that strong base. In recent years, the team has already benefited from this. "We have promising young riders in our training program, and we continue to invest in scouting new talents. It's important to help riders grow without immediately pushing them to the WorldTour."

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Froome's era is nearing an end

The goal: podium in a grand tour 

Remarkably, none of the riders are currently among the top 35 in the UCI rankings. Carlström, therefore, believes that the team, although strong, has not yet reached the absolute top level. "It can be difficult to attract riders already in the top 30 of the UCI rankings, especially if they have other choices in the WorldTour. However, in recent years, Corbin Strong, Stevie Williams, and Derek Gee have developed well. There are opportunities for our riders to advance to the top," the manager is promising about his leaders.

A critical moment for the team is Chris Froome's expected departure. The cycling veteran, likely to end his career at the end of 2025, leaves room for new opportunities. However, we should not expect a new Froome within the ranks. "Our focus is on developing our riders who can get on the Tour de France podium in the coming years," he said.

"We don't have the ultimate goal of winning the Tour de France. Our goal is to get on the podium. There is a difference between the podium and winning, but it is the ambition and something we want to achieve," Carlström said.

So, there is no Israel-Premier Tech rider on the podium in 2025, but who knows, maybe later. In any case, Blackmore will debut in the Tour de France, but the 21-year-old Briton will not aspire to a GC yet. The team also has its sights set on the Giro d'Italia, where Derek Gee wants to ride a GC.

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Want to know when and where the most exciting races of 2025 will take place? Check out our updated 2025 cycling calendars for the men's and women's peloton!

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