Alexey Lutsenko's move to Israel - Premier Tech can be considered a done deal

At the end of the first week of the Tour de France, it was suggested that Alexey Lutsenko might be on his way out of Astana Qazaqstan at the end of this season. His new destination was reported to be the PRT Israel - Premier Tech, which might replace Astana in World Tour in 2026.

According to newest report from Gazzetta dello Sport, the two-year deal has been penned already and only official communication is missing. If true, it would be a huge blow for the Kazakh team, where Lutsenko grew up to be one the team's main stars in recent years.

On the other hand, the 31-year-old was probably on a premium salary despite his results weren't always reflecting his leader status. For Astana which desperately needs to rack up UCI points in order to stay in the WorldTour for next period, it could be only beneficial to free up some space on their payroll and bring more consistent leaders.

The deal might also see Lutsenko finally settle in a team where there won't be as much pressure to perform. With the rising Israel - Premier Tech, he might get the chance to have more freedom to hunt individual successes, either in classics, or stages at the Grand Tours - something he has been already quite proficient at in recent years.