The 2024 Tour de France is approaching and one of the teams that faces the next edition of the Grand Tour full of confidence will be Israel – Premier Tech. Thanks to the outstanding performances this year of players like Matthew Riccitello, Stephen Williams and Derek Gee, the next team generation is shining.
“It is because of the knowledge that exists within the squad, where every year we learn from the mistakes made or from certain advances,” explains the sports director of Israel – Premier Tech and former winner of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Sep Vanmarcke, in conversation with In by Leiderstrui. . “At the end of the day, they are right now in the team: it was like that at the beginning of the year, but now it is like that again. They have returned very well from Isola 2000 and that is going very well.”
The year started strong for the team, with Stephen Williams taking overall victory at the Tour Down Under. Since then, the Welshman has also added a win at La Fleche Wallonne to his record this spring. “It’s a tremendously significant achievement,” Vanmarcke says of Williams’ breakthrough in 2024. “We’re already having a very good season, but the whole team is still looking forward to it. So everyone will go the extra mile.”
With the most recent appearances of Derek Gee at the Criterium du Dauphine and Matthew Riccitello at the Tour de Suisse, the future looks bright for Israel – Premier Tech. Is the next Tour de France too soon? “We are not worried that Derek may fall a little, as sometimes happens after a good Dauphiné, because qualifying is not his goal,” says Vanmarcke about the Canadian who finished on the podium in the traditional prelude to the Tour de France.
“We want to win a stage with him and that is the first objective. I see it happening as it happens with all teams: start in that classification and see how far you go. But the advantage is that nothing has to happen, because it is only his first Tour de France”, concludes the sports director. “Last year’s Giro was fantastic. Then he improved as the race progressed, which was seen again now in the Dauphiné. He has a great engine and I see him putting in some good performances in July too.”
