"The best is yet to come" - Israel - Premier Tech sign World Tour Briton after breakthrough season

After the promotion of Brady Gilmore from it's development team, Israel - Premier Tech has announced it's first signing of this transfer period: Lewis Askey. The now-Groupama - FDJ rider will be joining the Israeli team on a three-year contract after showing of great abilities as a puncheur and classics rider who may have leadership duties soon.

“Lewis Askey is a rider we have had our eye on for a while. Having been promoted to the WorldTour at a young age, Lewis already has a wealth of experience and he’s still only 24 years old," team manager Kjell Calström explained. "His victories this year were confirmation of what we knew he was capable of, and we believe the best is yet to come, so we are excited to see Lewis develop further in IPT over the next three years".

The Briton turned pro in 2022, after two years in the team's development ranks. He was already a clear talent outlined by many, but the French team managed to secure him and develop him into a rider that finished second at the 2023 Paris-Tours; second at the 2024 British national championships; but finally to meaningful wins as this year he won both the Boucles de l'Aulne and a stage at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque. However with his contract ending, there was interest from rival teams, and ultimately Askey will join fellow Britons Joe Blackmore, Jake Stewart, Stephen Williams and Ethan Vernon - although the team still has a lot of space to sign even more.

“Lewis will play a key role in our Classics team, taking on an important leadership role at one-day races, while also adding depth to our stage race rosters," Calström adds. "Beyond performance potential, one of the biggest things we look at when signing new riders is how they will fit into the team culture, and with Lewis, we have no doubt that he is an excellent signing across the board and will really thrive in our team environment.”

“Groupama FDJ did a lot for me and I’m thankful for my time with them, but it felt like the right time to move on,” the 24-year old justified. “I need some new motivation, new faces, new style, fresh air, and new ways of thinking. I’m at a point in my career where I should be coming into my best years, and I feel like moving somewhere else will give me the extra gear, the motivation to step up and try new things".

This was a signing that had been in the making for a long time, and for Askey it seemed like the right move as the team is set to move back up to the World Tour ranks, but simultaneously has the space for a rider like Askey to still have freedom to chase his own goals. “I started speaking with IPT quite early in the season, and then I went on to take my first two wins. That was already a turning point for me, and a lot of people might not realize it happened in that order. It gave me relief and freedom so I could take more risks without the stress of failing. That release, being able to race on instinct and take risks, without the pressure, made a huge difference to my season.”

The current contacts with several riders within the team is something that made this transfer an obvious choice: "... I already know so many people at the team – not just UK riders but others too, close mates I spend a lot of time with. And I’ve learned it makes a huge difference when you’re racing with people you genuinely want to race for, because you’re a team that wants each other to succeed, not just because you’re paid to do it".