As cycling fans in Israel and around the world focus on La Vuelta a España and Israel – Premier Tech’s mission to secure their first Grand Tour stage win of the season, another significant event begins today in France: the Tour de l’Avenir.
After all, it’s the most prestigious race for young riders, often referred to as the Tour de France for under-23 riders. This race, with its impressive roster of young Israeli and international talents from the Israel – Premier Tech’s pro and academy teams, is poised to capture at least some of the spotlight.
The Israeli national team, making its second consecutive appearance in this race, comprises four riders from the IPT Academy. Another quartet of riders, all of whom started the season with the IPT Academy, will line up for other national teams in the race.
Leading the charge is 21-year-old British rider Joe Blackmore, who, after an incredible start to the season with victories in the Tours of Rwanda and Taiwan, earned a rapid promotion to the senior team.
Blackmore will lead the British national team in the Tour de l’Avenir and is considered one of the leading contenders to win the GC.
He is joined by other top talents, including 19-year-old Spaniard Pau Martí, who is expected to be one of the key riders for the Spanish national team after securing a podium finish in the Giro d’Italia U23. His teammates, Daniel Lima (Portugal) and Moritz Kretschy (Germany), will also be competing for their respective national teams.
Tim Elverson, IPT Academy’s Manager, commented: “It’s great that the depth of the team means we have eight riders from five nations involved in Avenir. Obviously, it will be great for Israel to battle with the other nations and be competitive, but I will also have one eye on Moritz and Daniel, who I think either could take a stage, and then Joe and Pau, who should both be playing for the GC. It should be an exciting race for the IPT family.”
The Israeli national team’s second appearance on this prestigious stage is a testament to the consistent progress of the next generation of Israeli cyclists. Last year’s debut was one of the surprises of the tour, with four top-10 finishes, and two of the riders – Nadav Raisberg and Oded Kogut – have since signed professional contracts with IPT’s pro team.
This year, the Israeli team arrives with an even younger and less experienced lineup, but with plenty of ambition “to be part of the race, not to hide, and not just to ride to survive”, as described by Israeli Sport Director Lahav Davidzon, who was riding for the Israeli national team and IPT Academy just a year ago.
It won’t be an easy challenge, especially considering that two of the team’s riders, Matar Peretz (18) and Guy Tahar (19), only joined our Academy this season. For Roy Shyman and Yonatan Uri, this will be their first experience in such a demanding and tough race. On the other hand, for Aviv Bental and Imry Faingezicht, this will be their second time in the Tour de l’Avenir, and the expectation is that they will aim for a strong individual performance – at least in two stages that seem promising for breakaways.
Aviad Izrael, who manages the Israeli project for IPT Academy and will lead the professional team during the race, said: “The presence of the Israeli national team in this race is a significant part of the sport’s development process. While we are coming with a less experienced lineup, I want to see them being aggressive throughout the race and making the most of this incredible learning opportunity.”
The race kicks off today with a short 7 km prologue in Sarrebourg, France, and will continue into the Alps with six challenging stages (three of which will end with mountain-top or climbing finishes). The race will conclude in Italy on Saturday August 24.
IPT riders at the Tour de l’Avenir (August 18 – 24)
Team Israel: Aviv Bental (ISR, 21), Imry Faingezicht (ISR, 21), Matar Peretz (ISR, 18), Guy Tahar (ISR, 19)
Rest of World: Joe Blackmore (GBR, 21), Moritz Kretschy (GER, 22), Daniel Lima (POR, 19), Pau Marti Soriano (ESP, 19)
