Israel – Premier Tech Ready to Conquer Strade Bianche with Strong Lineup
Israel – Premier Tech is gearing up for the challenging Strade Bianche race with a motivated team, aiming for a top result in the renowned Italian one-day event.
Strade Bianche, known as “Europe’s most southern northern Classic,” has captured the hearts of cycling fans due to its stunning scenery and demanding course. The race covers 63 km of white gravel roads across the picturesque Tuscan countryside, with 11 difficult sectors. One puncture can change everything in this merciless race, highlighting the importance of proper equipment and bike set-up.
“I’m confident we have a great set-up with our Factor OSTRO bike, Black Inc wheels, and Maxxis tires,” said team mechanic Zoran Pohrebny.
“It’s super important to have good tires, especially for a race like Strade Bianche. We will be using the new 28mm tubeless High Road model from Maxxis as this will give the riders better control. For the wheels, the guys will use either the Thirty or the Forty Five option from Black Inc.”
The Israel – Premier Tech team will be led by Jakob Fuglsang and Simon Clarke. Fuglsang has achieved impressive results in previous editions, finishing second in 2019, fifth in 2020, and ninth last year. Clarke, an Australian rider, is also a consistent Top-10 performer in the race and has already shown excellent form this season with multiple podium finishes.
“This is such a cool race,” said Clarke after the team’s reconnaissance ride on Thursday. “Personally, I feel good. However, you need to approach a race like this with an open mindset. Similar to Paris-Roubaix, you can be unfortunate to suffer a puncture at a bad time and then it’s over.”
“You can have all the condition in the world, but that’s not the only factor in a race like Strade Bianche. Still, without good condition, you’re not going anywhere either. Luckily, we’ve got some really good material here and I believe we will have a good race on Saturday.”
Israel – Premier Tech Strade Bianche Lineup: Jakob Fuglsang, Alex Cataford, Matthias Brändle, Guy Sagiv, Taj Jones, Krists Neilands, Simon Clarke.
Sports directors: Claudio Cozzi, Nicki Sørensen, René Andrle.
