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Israeli cycling team, ranked 11th globally, ends banner 10th season

“Our Israel team brings the best face of Israel to sports fans around the world," said Israel-Premier Tech co-owner Sylvan Adams.

Israel-Premier Tech rider Pascal Ackermann. Photo by Noa Arnon.
Israel-Premier Tech rider Pascal Ackermann. Photo by Noa Arnon.

Professional cycling team Israel-Premier Tech last week concluded its tenth and most successful season, ending the campaign ranked 11th worldwide, ahead of major teams including Spain’s Movistar, the American Education First, Australia’s Jayco and Belgium’s Wanty. 

“Our Israel team brings the best face of Israel to sports fans around the world who love cycling. Everyone notices the winner, and we had our most successful campaign ever this year,” said IPT co-owner and billionaire philanthropist Sylvan Adams.

“This has been especially significant and important in this particular year, in the aftermath of Oct. 7, given the hatred and antisemitism that was revealed,” he added.

The high ranking secured the team’s participation in all WorldTour races next season, including the three Grand Tours: the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. 

Throughout the season, IPT competed in 88 races, securing 29 stage victories and 88 podiums.

“With all of the bad news written about Israel this year, the team offers a gleaming image of winning sportsmanship. The best answer we can give to the haters is simply to win. I’m proud of the good work we are doing in that regard,” said Adams. 

Israel-Premier Tech co-owner Sylvan Adams in Scotland, August 2023. Credit: UCI World Cycling Championships Glasgow.

Over the last decade, Adams has served as an unofficial ambassador for Israel around the globe, transcending the media narrative of a country engulfed in conflict.

In December, Adams donated $100 million to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to strengthen southern Israel. A month later, he initiated a global solidarity ride with the participation of hundreds of thousands of cyclists in over 40 cities around the world, calling for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The next month, Adams visited Gaza border communities, where he announced investments to build cycling and sports infrastructure in the region.

Over the summer, Adams invited survivors of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre to accompany the team at the opening of the Tour de France in Florence, Italy. Earlier this month as Israel marked one year since Hamas’s massacre, IPT took part in a commemorative ride in southern Israel in honor of 10 riders slaughtered by Palestinian terrorists during the invasion. 

From left: Oct. 7 survivors Sharon Shevo and Avida Bachar and Israel Premier Tech co-owner Sylvan Adams prepare to board a flight to Italy for the Tour de France, at Ben Gurion Airport, June 26, 2024. Photo by Amelie Botbol.

This season, IPT won its first UCI WorldTour one-day race, with Stevie Williams claiming the victory at Flèche Wallonne in Belgium, as well as a WorldTour stage race, with Williams winning the Tour Down Under in Australia. IPT’s Derek Gee finished 9th overall at the Tour de France. 

“IPT had a successful season this year. We were able to win our first ever UCI WorldTour races, both a stage race (TDU) and a one day race (Fleche Wallonne). On top of that we were consistently scoring victories and nice results throughout the season all the way to the end with two stage wins in Guangxi,” said IPT General Manager Kjell Carlstrom.

“Although we had even bigger objectives, we did achieve most of the goals we had set out to do, and the most important one of securing all Grand Tour and WorldTour invitations for 2025. This puts us in a good place for the final year of the UCI WorldTour license cycle to secure the license,” he continued.

“The thing I’m most excited and proud about is how we have been able to create such a great team spirit and atmosphere. This is very important for me and I hope we can continue to foster that culture,” he added. 

The Israel-Premier Tech riders in Florence, ahead of the start of the 2024 Tour de France cycling race, June 29, 2024. Credit: Israel-Premier Tech.

Two Israeli riders claimed victories in a single season, with IPT’s Itamar Einhorn securing four victories at the Tour of Rwanda and the Tour of Taiwan and Israeli champion Oded Kogut winning a stage at the Tour of Croatia.

“Our achievements this year have been incredibly significant, with five Israeli victories. I think our amazing position at the top of the sport is being established year on year regardless of the passport we hold,” said Kogut.

“For next year, at least for me, the ambition is huge, to win races at an even higher level and even to do a Grand Tour myself,” he added.

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