Israel - Premier Tech are set for relegation this season, but they will also be losing an important rider for their lineup in
Guy Niv, who was the first Israeli rider to race the Tour de France, one of the team's objectives since it's creation.
“It was the toughest decision I have ever made, but the flame inside that has burned since I started racing has gone out," Niv said in a press release. "I know that it will seem like a complete surprise to many, but the few people who are closest to me knew that this has been boiling inside for a long time. There are many reasons behind it, but the main one is that I came to realize that I no longer have the drive and motivation that are essential to reaching the heights I am capable of as a pro cyclist.”
Niv turned pro with the Israeli team in 2018, built on the hopes of Sylvan Adams and financing from the middle-eastern country. His only win came at the time-trial national championships in 2019, however he was selected and completed the Tour de France in 2020 which marked an important step for the team - he then repeated the feat in 2022, aswell as racing 3 Giri and 1 Vuelta.
“I will admit that I always believe I would call it quits only when I reached my full potential. I am still far from that point. Actually, I recently finished my second TDF with the best performance of all my previous five Grand Tours, proving that I am still progressing, but I believe still that it’s time for me to leave it all behind," he explained. He has throughout most of his career raced as a domestique, and his retirement is a reminder of how complicated the life of a pro cyclist can be, specially when outside the spotlight.
“Something turned off inside me during the 2022 season," Niv stated. "I did not enjoy it as I used to. I always knew why I decided to take on the toughest sport in the world, this northern star that guided me through the toughest moments and made me get on my bike and push myself to the limit."
"But realizing that I have lost it left me with only one option: take on a new journey away from cycling," he concluded. What that will be is unknown, but taking into consideration his influence in the nation's cycling bubble, it is very possible that he will remain inside the cycling scene.
