Tour Success: IPT Achieves 13 Top-10 Stage Finishes

The Israel Premier-Tech (IPT) professional cycling team concluded the 2024 Tour de France with their highest-quality performance to date, marking a historic milestone in their five participations in the prestigious race. The team showcased exceptional skill and determination, achieving 13 top-ten finishes and four podiums, including a first-time top-ten finish in the general classification.

Canadian rider Derek Gee stood out with remarkable performances, especially in the challenging climbing stages. On Sunday, he defended his ninth place in the general classification during the time trial from Monaco to Nice, finishing sixth. This solidified IPT's status as an emerging force on the global cycling stage.

“I’m proud of the team’s performance at this year’s Tour,” exclaimed IPT owner Sylvan Adams. “The boys rode for each other at the front of the peloton. We had 13 top-10 finishes, meaning we were in the hunt in about half of the stages. With four podiums and Derek Gee finishing in the top 10 on GC, I would say that this was our best Tour ever, even if we didn’t manage to win a stage, as we had won three in the last two Tours.”

Among the team’s leadership, riders, and professional staff, there was a sense of pride and satisfaction despite the slight disappointment of not securing a stage victory. Dror Pekatch, the first Israeli sports director ever in the Tour de France, stated, “In terms of the quality we presented here, there is no doubt that this is our best Tour ever and probably the best Grand Tour we’ve ever had. We proved here that in terms of level and ability, we are a World Tour team. It’s bittersweet when we were so close, but I’m very proud of what we achieved here.”

Adams emphasized another significant victory on an important front, given the global context following the events of October 7.

“In my view, the most important thing is that we showcased the name Israel to 15 million spectators along the route and over 2 billion TV viewers. We were threatened with protests and disruptions, but there were no protests and very few Palestinian flags. In fact, we saw many more Israeli flags. When I rode daily with the team’s jersey along the course, I heard many cheers of support, showing that we have many friends in the cycling world and beyond.”

The Israel Premier-Tech team has demonstrated resilience and progress, not only in their athletic performance but also in their representation of Israel on a global platform. The 2024 Tour de France has been a testament to their growth and potential, setting a promising precedent for future competitions.

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