With the 2024 Tour de France looming, one of the teams heading into the next Grand Tour with confidence is Israel’s Premier Tech. Thanks to breakthrough performances this year from the likes of Matthew Riccitello, Steven Williams and Derek Ghee, the team’s next generation is beginning to shine.
“It’s all down to the knowledge within the team. Every year we learn from our mistakes and from certain developments,” explains Sep Vanmarcke, sports director at Israel Premier Tech and former Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner, in conversation with In de Leiderstuy. “After all, the team has got it right now. It was the case at the beginning of the year and it’s the same now too. They came back very well from Isola 2000 and are doing very well.”
The year has started well for the team, with Steven Williams taking the overall victory at the Tour Down Under. The Welshman added to that feat with a win at La Flèche Wallonne this spring. “It’s very significant, a fantastic achievement,” Vanmarcke said of Williams’ rise to 2024. “We’ve had a very good season already, but the whole team is still looking forward to it. Everyone will work even harder.”
Given the recent successes of Derek Ghee at the Critérium du Dauphiné and Matthew Riccitello at the Tour de Suisse, the future looks bright for Israel Premier Tech. But is the upcoming Tour de France too early to tell? “I’m not worried that Derek might drop off a bit after his strong performance in the Dauphiné, because placings are not his goal,” Vanmarcke says of the Canadian, who finished on the podium in the traditional Tour de France warm-up event.
“We want to win a stage with him, that’s the first goal, as it is for every team. We’ll start with that position and see how far we can go, but the advantage for him is that nothing has to happen, because this is his first Tour de France,” concluded the sports director. “Last year’s Giro was fantastic, and as the race went on he got even better, and we’ve now seen that in the Dauphiné. He has a great engine and I think he’ll perform well in July.”