Having already signed a two-year contract with Israel – Premier Tech for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, British sensation Joe Blackmore will graduate from the Israel – Premier Tech Academy to the ProTeam earlier than expected, officially joining the team from today.
Following Rick Zabel’s retirement announcement this week, Blackmore will replace him as the team’s 30th rider, a logical decision given the circumstances says IPT General Manager Kjell Carlström.
“We are excited to welcome Joe to Israel – Premier Tech earlier than originally planned,” says Carlström. “When a spot in our ProTeam became available, it made sense to bring Joe up already to give him the chance to race at the WorldTour level, where we believe he will excel. He has enjoyed a fantastic start to his season and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do with us. Joe was already scheduled to race Tro-Bro Léon with IPT this Sunday so he will now line up as a ProTeam rider.”
Blackmore has already raced more days with Israel – Premier Tech than the Academy this year, scoring an impressive seven wins in just four months including stage and General Classification victories at Tour du Rwanda, Tour de Taiwan, Circuit des Ardennes, and Liège – Bastogne – Liège U23.
“It’s incredible to be in a position to move up and race at the highest level, starting on Sunday at Tro-Bro Léon,” says Blackmore. “Hopefully I can have a good rest of the season alongside experienced teammates who I can race with and learn from.
“I’m also incredibly grateful to the team for the confidence they have shown in me so far – I’m ready for the rest of the year now!”
