With 2025 marking the final season of the current UCI ranking cycle, it is set to be a very important season for a number of teams in the peloton. As far as Israel - Premier Tech are concerned though, things are looking pretty good for a World Tour return following a solid 2024 season.
“It was a positive season for us,” reviews Israel - Premier Tech general manager Kjell Carlström in quotes collected by Cycling Pro Net. “We managed to win our first World Tour races, both a stage race (Tour Down Under) and a one-day race (La Flèche Wallonne). On top of that, we were consistently winning throughout the year until the end when we won two stages at the Tour of Guangxi."
Star performances from the likes of Stephen Williams, Derek Gee, Corbin Strong and Matthew Riccitello among others helped the team scoop up UCI points over the course of the year, boosting hopes of a World Tour return. "Even though we had even more ambitious goals, we managed to achieve the majority of our goals , including the most important one of all, which was to get automatic invitations to all Grand Tours and World Tour races in 2025," Carlström explains. "This puts us in a good position in the final year of the UCI rankings to get the World Tour license for 2026. Even though we have to have a great season next year, we are on the right track. For next year, the team will have more depth and that means we will be even stronger.”
“From an Israeli perspective, our young sprinters have had a big impact this year, taking five victories and also helping their teammates all year. This gives us hope for the future and I am curious to see them improve," the team's general manager concludes. "But the thing I am most proud of was how we were able to create a great atmosphere and team spirit. This is very important to me and I hope we can continue on this path in the future.”