Israel - Premier Tech have announced their ninth signing for the 2024 and it is another sprinter. After four seasons with Groupama-FDJ, Jake Stewart will for the first time in his pro career race away from the French team.
Stewart's signing falls in a clear trend of riders who are being brought by the Israeli team. The sprint is a clear focus, and this transfer season alone they have already officialized the transfers of Pascal Ackermann from UAE Team Emirates and Ethan Vernon from Soudal - Quick-Step. Alongside Hugo Hofstetter who's coming in from Arkéa Samsic and Corbin Strong, Jake Stewart will be a fifth fast man for the team's plan into the upcoming season.
Perhaps building a leadout is part of the intention to sign Stewart, however the Briton has proven himself a quality rider over the past few year, having finished second at the 2021 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad showing off his versatility, but showing his speed in other races. He has two pro wins, at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Tour de l'Ain.
As the 23-year old departs for a new adventure, Groupama-FDJ see their fleet of sprinters thin down further. After Arnaud Démare's mid-season departure, they will now likely not invest on new sprinter signings, and instead focus in the mountains, where they've got David Gaudu and a rising Lenny Martínez to protect - as well as classics rider Romain Grégoire.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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✍️ Welcome, Jake Stewart! Our classics and sprint squads will be bolstered by the arrival of 🇬🇧 Jake Stewart on a two-year deal 👊 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥
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