Teams & Riders Israel Start-Up Nation

[Leadbelly]

Just looking at the comment section for the Academy post on FB. Several people are like "What about Froome?"

.....and Zabel for some reason.

Anyway I forgot to post the team selection for the TDU.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1742472447364882940

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1742472447364882940


I think Willunga is too much for Strong, but he's been chasing bonifications on stage 1, so the team must think he has a chance. There are some other options, but who knows form everybody is in this early in the season.

 

[Sciatic]

Not often that we see a pro team lineup for a WT race that is all native English-speakers. At least that what I would assume by nationality?

 

[pastronef]

Not often that we see a pro team lineup for a WT race that is all native English-speakers. At least that what I would assume by nationality?

Guillaume Boivin sounds French-Quebecois

 

[Sciatic]

Guillaume Boivin sounds French-Quebecois

Ah, good point!

 

[Leadbelly]

Winner winner chicken dinner.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1748919767245672749

View: https://twitter.com/tourdownunder/status/1748919767245672749


Good to get that win under the belt after a couple of annoying second places. Looking back, the leadout from Williams for Strong on stage two (?) showed he might have been in decent form for so early in the season.

Next up the newly named Surf Coast Classic probably with Watts getting a chance in the team.

 

[kingjr]

Guillaume Boivin sounds French-Quebecois

A couple of years ago, the French ESP commentators were having lots of fun with the pronunciation of his name, I think the joke lasted for the whole TdF.

 

[Leadbelly]

I think Willunga is too much for Strong, but he's been chasing bonifications on stage 1, so the team must think he has a chance.

Even without the stomach bug he got, I still think this would be true - certainly as far as winning the GC goes. If you take a bit of an estimate at how much he would have lost on Willunga 40-50s, add in his bonuses and guess at how the final stage might have gone (similar to Pithie? or at the very least in the big 10s group) then you're on the verge of the top-ten. Not bad normally for IPT, but an overall win with someone else is better.

 

[Leadbelly]

Next up the newly named Surf Coast Classic probably with Watts getting a chance in the team.

He wasn't needed after all with Strong recovering well from his stomach bug. It wasn't the best suited finish for the New Zealander, but from what I understand the team did a good job keeping him in the right position for the run-in so that he could grab a podium.

Today he could "only" finish fourth at CEGORR, but it's a sign of how well the team has started the season and how involved they were in the finale that fourth was actually a bit disappointing. Could they have played it a bit differently and let Schultz/Williams go on the attack with Simmons/Ryan?

Anyway we need to wait a little while till the next race which is the Tour de la Provence. They're definitely taking a different calendar approach to the start of the year this time round. In 2023 they were present at San Juan, the Mallorca races, Marseillaise and Besseges but none of that in 2024 (SJ doesn't exist ofc). When they do restart I'll be very interested to see if the other parts of the team hit the ground running as well as the Australia group.

 

[Leadbelly]

Finally some more racing.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1754841798990602523

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1754841798990602523


Not the most exciting parcour in Provence this time, but there's the chance of wind enlivening the racing.

 

[tobydawq]

Finally some more racing.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1754841798990602523

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1754841798990602523


Not the most exciting parcour in Provence this time, but there's the chance of wind enlivening the racing.

I'm interested to see Riley Sheehan open his season. Was he a fluke or is there more to him?

 

[yaco]

These short-stage races which contain an ITT and little variation in terrain make for formulaic and uninteresting racing.

 

[Leadbelly]

I'm interested to see Riley Sheehan open his season. Was he a fluke or is there more to him?

I think he did all right this week. Decent prologue, grabbed a few seconds back on GC with use of his brains just as much as legs and then was in the right group on the toughest day. If we were nit-picking we could say that yesterday he lacked a bit of pep in the finale and wasn't in a great position leading into it, but it's his first race of the season and the weather wasn't fun - not everyone can be at Pedersen type levels straight off the bat.

Of course the multi-DNS was annoying this morning, but that's just one of those things and the team more than made up for it with TVA's surprising victory.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1756708954996986126

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1756708954996986126


So yeah a good week adding in Pickrell's stage podium, Frigo's near success (contract year for him) and Strong picking up another second place over at the NZ nats.

Next Rwanda, UAE and a couple more races in France.

 

[tobydawq]

I think he did all right this week. Decent prologue, grabbed a few seconds back on GC with use of his brains just as much as legs and then was in the right group on the toughest day. If we were nit-picking we could say that yesterday he lacked a bit of pep in the finale and wasn't in a great position leading into it, but it's his first race of the season and the weather wasn't fun - not everyone can be at Pedersen type levels straight off the bat.

Of course the multi-DNS was annoying this morning, but that's just one of those things and the team more than made up for it with TVA's surprising victory.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1756708954996986126

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1756708954996986126


So yeah a good week adding in Pickrell's stage podium, Frigo's near success (contract year for him) and Strong picking up another second place over at the NZ nats.

Next Rwanda, UAE and a couple more races in France.

That's a great interview.

 

[Leadbelly]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1758151230252052922

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1758151230252052922


Mont Faron tomorrow for the goats at the Classic Var.

A sprint on Saturday with Vernon hopefully. There isn't much competition which is a good and bad thing. It's difficult to see the team controlling it on their own.

Some racing smarts needed on Sunday to nab a few bonuses or make a late attack in the finale.

--------------------------------------------------------

There were some interviews on DV a few days back with TVA and Hofstetter following Provence. I've picked out a couple of things.

Hugo Hofstetter : « Ils ont regretté leur choix » - Actualité - DirectVelo

Hugo Hofstetter : « Ils ont regretté leur choix » : Tom Van Asbroeck ne tournait pas autour du pot après l’arrivée de la 4e et dernière étape du Tour de la Provence (2.1)....

www.directvelo.com

Before this final sprint (on stage 3), he had sniffed out the big deal by slipping into the right echelon along the way. “It was a great battle. At one point, I saw that a group was trying to come back with two or three Arkéas in it so I pedaled a little harder ,” he slips mischievously.

It also mentions that he could ride the Giro this year.

Tom Van Asbroeck : « C’est époustouflant » - Actualité - DirectVelo

Tom Van Asbroeck : « C’est époustouflant » : Tom Van Asbroeck a brisé la série de Mads Pedersen. Après trois succès consécutifs du Danois, le sociétaire d’Israel-Premier...

www.directvelo.com

Did you expect to be in such good shape?

I changed things this winter. I have a Canadian coach on the team, we get along very well. We started using the hypoxia tent.

I wonder if others on the team have started using it as well.

 

[Leadbelly]

Not a bad day for Woods on Friday. I didn't see it, but I understood he went a bit off-road in the finale which ruined his chances a bit.

Job done for Vernon yesterday.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1758949472321618075

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1758949472321618075


He'll face quicker competition. However the team did a good job keeping him at the front which was essential to the victory. As for the GC, there was a split in the peloton with only Woods finishing in the front group. It's still possible for Teuns etc to get involved (bonus + a small gap), but it'd have been better not to have given up the time in the first place.

 

[Leadbelly]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1758385698371965286

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1758385698371965286


Always a fun race.

“It’s a special race, which is why we have a strong team here. Our first objective is to win the TTT in Kigali on stage one. We have options with Itamar on stage two, and after this we will be fighting for the GC with Joe and Chris.

“It’s difficult to predict how the racing will unfold – although most of the stages are pretty short, the teams are made up of just five riders, which means it will be difficult to control. It will be a very nervous race, so we have to be ready from KM0 of the first road stage.”

Not too much interest from this quarter with the TTT. Firstly it won't affect the individual GC and secondly they seem to be allowed to use TT bikes which in this type of race just exacerbates the differences between the haves and have-nots.

 

[Leadbelly]

After a great start to the season I feel this race could a reality check for the team.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1758756150940492028

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1758756150940492028


A really strong sprint field present. Getting a top-5 might represent success against Kooij, Jakobsen, Groves, Merlier, Groenewegen, Welsford, Gaviria etc etc and even that might prove to be unrealistic.

GC? Bennett already has some racing in his legs and should go better here, but I'm not too hopeful. Maybe Riccitello can grab a top-fifteen?

 

[Netserk]

If he won't get hammered by crosswinds, the desert racing should suit Riccitello a lot. Depending on his form, maybe he can even sniff a top-10 on Jebel Jafeet.

 

[Pinot's goat]

After a great start to the season I feel this race could a reality check for the team.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1758756150940492028

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1758756150940492028


A really strong sprint field present. Getting a top-5 might represent success against Kooij, Jakobsen, Groves, Merlier, Groenewegen, Welsford, Gaviria etc etc and even that might prove to be unrealistic.

GC? Bennett already has some racing in his legs and should go better here, but I'm not too hopeful. Maybe Riccitello can grab a top-fifteen?

Riccitello was already top 15 last year and he improved a lot up to the Giro.

 

[Leadbelly]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1760988496204841197

View: https://twitter.com/tour_du_Rwanda/status/1760988496204841197


In an all together unsurprising way, it's the youngsters outperforming the oldies (in the main).

Riccitello > Bennett
Kogut > Ackermann
Blackmore + Kretschy > Froome

Still a couple more stages of their respective races to go. Froome for sure is going to have some valuable hard work to do.

 

[Leadbelly]

Belgium:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1760979174742016365

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1760979174742016365


France:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761022787307663463

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1761022787307663463


Not really confident about Omloop, but why not a result of some form in the other three.

 

[Netserk]

The team has really turned the tables since their relegation. Nice to see that they have managed to score a lot of points despite not being invited to as many races as last year (for geopolitical reasons).

 

[Leadbelly]

You see I thought they were just taking an easier approach to their calendar (doing a Bahrain/Jumbo), but it could be as you say, and some organizers just don't want them or any extra hassle.

 

[Leadbelly]

Hmmm well yeah.

Rwanda went better than expected. I'm sure I read that some of them had just come off an altitude training camp in South Africa which might go some way to explaining the great performance. Einhorn's win from the break was a real surprise to me and Blackmore of course did his chances of getting signed to the main team (or to some other team if they don't get the contract out soon!) the power of good.

UAE kinda went as expected tbh. Ackers nowhere in the sprints and Riccitello meintjes-ed his way to 12th in the GC which isn't bad by any means for his first race of the season, just not very exciting. I guess without the TT he might have been a couple of places higher.

The real disappointment was the quartet of one-day races. There were a couple of silver linings in Belgium: Teuns seems in decent nick though was poorly positioned in KBK at the crucial moment and in Omloop Pickrell made the front grp after the early echelon action and wasn't far off making the front group of six. Of course he would have got dropped sooner rather than later even if he had hung in, but it augers well for future races (maybe not this Spring though).

Injuries have reared their ugly head as well. Gee (collarbone) and Pickrell (ribs and shoulderblade) join Stewart and Van Tricht on the sidelines. Good job they have devo team to fill any spots in the non-WT races.

Speaking of the devo team....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1762094548556079309

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1762094548556079309


However no invite for the team to PR U23 this year which is a shame.

 

[Unchained]

There is a certain sadness to this thread and to the Froome, thread, look at the names for the team unless some miracle happens selection of Froome for the TDF is denying or more deserving rider..