After targeting the GC at May’s Giro d’Italia, a strategy that saw Derek Gee record the team’s best result in the race, Israel – Premier Tech’s attentions will turn to stage victories at the Tour de France.
IPT’s team for its sixth participation in the world’s biggest race, which starts in the Northern city of Lille on Saturday July 5, features climber Mike Woods, sprinter Pascal Ackermann, and Critérium du Dauphiné stage winner Jake Stewart.
“It’s simply said, yet difficult to achieve: we want to win a stage. We’ve assembled the best team from our current healthy roster with the aim of achieving this goal,” says Sporting Manager Steve Bauer. “It’s a common goal for every team, and that’s where the challenge lies at the highest level of our sport. We have to be sharp from day one and, in particular, through the first 10 days, we’ll analyze how we can have a shot at nearly every stage, because we can’t afford to let any opportunities go. We have the riders who can be in the mix to win. Our day-to-day tactics will be very important, along with how we manage the guys.”
Kazakh Alexey Lutsenko will make his first Tour de France start in IPT colors, having previously won a stage of the 2020 edition, one of his previous nine participations. Guillaume Boivin and Krists Neilands will both compete in their fifth Tours, all of which have been with the team, and Matîs Louvel will become the first Frenchman to be selected for IPT in the race since 2020.
Debutant Joe Blackmore completes the eight-man line-up, less than a year after winning the Tour de l’Avenir, historically considered the under-23 equivalent of the Tour.
Bauer adds: “We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two, and three will be intense. Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, too, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. It will be important for our guys to be ready to go hunting for victories when these opportunities come.
“In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he’s proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We’ll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we’ll utilize his strengths as we go forward.”
Woods returns to the Tour two years on from a historic stage victory on Puy de Dôme. The Canadian also remains the last IPT rider to win a Grand Tour stage, having triumphed at Puerto de Ancares in the Vuelta a España last August. The 38-year-old showed promising form at this month’s Tour de Suisse before illness forced him out of the race.
He says: “I’m really excited about racing my fifth Tour. It’s a crazy race and it’s the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me – in a good way, but it’s such a challenging race. The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible.
“Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I’ve received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I’m looking forward to returning to the Tour.
“Everything from stage six onward I’m excited about. Don’t expect to see me at all during those opening stages – I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I’ve won a stage in was the only one I didn’t crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins.”
Ackermann is still hunting his Grand Tour hat-trick, having won three Giro and two Vuelta stages so far during his career. The German recorded three third-place finishes in last year’s race, but, having taken his first victory for IPT at the Classique Dunkerque in May, he enters the 2025 edition with greater desire than ever before.
“I am really excited to be at the start of the Tour, especially after the season so far – I’ve had a lot of bad luck this year, so now it’s time to get back to the sunny times and fight for a stage victory,” says the 31-year-old.
“There are many chances to get an opportunity for sprints this year. How great it would be to win a stage and get the yellow jersey!”
This year’s only Tour newcomer for IPT is Blackmore, whose remarkable career trajectory continues with his selection for the race. Two years ago, the British rider was a near-unknown in road cycling, having largely focused on cyclo-cross. However, the 22-year-old has been selected following a good start to his first full season with IPT’s ProTeam, which included top-15 finishes in both Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” says Blackmore. “It’s going to be special with the Grand Départ being so close to home – my parents, grandfather, girlfriend, and friends will be watching roadside for the first few days, which is really cool.
“There are a few stages in the first week with punchy uphill finishes that I think I can be competitive in. I hope to help Pascal in the sprint stages, and Mike in the second and third weeks, but I want to be around the guys as much as I can from the start of the race and see what I can do to help them and the team’s chances.”
Bauer adds: “Joe is in great shape – it’ll be an experience to see how he manages his first Grand Tour. This year we’ve raced him in the Classics and he’s coped with everything we’ve given him, so he’s shown us both the capability and capacity to be with the best.”
Riders: Pascal Ackermann (GER), Joe Blackmore (GBR), Guillaume Boivin (CAN), Matîs Louvel (FRA), Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ), Krists Neilands (LAT), Jake Stewart (GBR), Michael Woods (CAN)
Sports Directors: Steve Bauer (CAN), Dror Pekatch (ISR), Sam Bewley (NZL)
