Three Canadians to ride together on Israel-Premier Tech team for Tour de France

By Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press on June 23, 2023.

Canadians Michael Woods, Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin will ride together in Israel-Premier Tech’s entry for the Tour de France.

The 110th edition of the storied race, which covers 3,404 kilometres over 21 stages this year, starts July 1 in Bilbao, Spain, and finished July 23 in Paris.

Houle won Stage 16 last year, joining Steve Bauer as the only Canadian to win a stage at cycling’s biggest race. Bauer, who won the first stage of the 1988 Tour, now serves as sports director for Israel-Premier Tech.

Houle, a 32-year-old from Sainte-Perpetue, Que., will be riding in his fifth straight Tour de France – and eighth Grand Tour race.

Woods has already competed in the Tour three times, the Spanish Vuelta four times and the Giro d’Italia twice.

The 36-year-old from Ottawa posted third-place stage finishes in both the 2021 and ’22 Tour de France. He has also recorded two stage wins in the Vuelta.

It will mark the seventh Grand Tour race and third straight Tour de France appearance for Boivin, a 34-year-old from Montreal.

“We bring a strong team, ready to race aggressively, with the main goal of going for stage wins,” said Rik Verbrugghe, Israel-Premier Tech’s sports manager. “We all know that it’s hard to win a stage in the Tour, but I believe that each of our eight selected riders has what it takes to be victorious in this race.

“I would like to see the team race with the same attitude and eagerness as we did in the Giro d’Italia this year. If we can continue like this, racing opportunistically, I believe we will have a great race.”

Canadian Derek Gee, another Israel-Premier Tech rider, turned heads at the recent Giro.

The 25-year-old from Ottawa finished second four times and fourth twice in his first Grand Tour race. He placed 22nd in the final general classification standings and was runner-up to Italy’s Jonathan Milan in the points race and France’s Thibaut Pinot in the King of the Mountains standings.

The Canadian was also honoured as the Giro’s “super combative rider.” His performance was rewarded after the race with a new contract that runs through 2028.

The Israel-Premier Tech Tour de France team also features Australian Simon Clarke, who also won a stage in last year’s race. The other riders are Belgium’s Dylan Teuns, Australia’s Nick Schultz, Latvia’s Krists Neilands and New Zealand’s Corbin Strong.

Israel-Premier Tech sees Woods and Teuns leading the team in the mountains, with Boivin a possible contender to win a stage himself.

“I’m really excited for this year’s Tour de France,” Woods said. “The course suits me quite well, especially the opening stages in the Basque Country. This is an area I’ve had a lot of success in with my two Vuelta a España (Spanish Vuelta) stage wins both taking place there. I really enjoy racing in this area.

“My big ambition is to win a stage and inspired by my Ottawa teammate, Derek Gee, I want to race a really aggressive race, trying to be as active as possible. The victory in La Route d’Occitanie gave me a lot of confidence. I’m really motivated and ready to race.”

Woods is coming off a victory at La Route d’Occitanie, a four-day stage race in Southern France that he also won last year.

“Last year, we won two rather spectacular stages at the Tour de France, so the bar is high for us to exceed that result,” said Canadian-Israeli entrepreneur Sylvan Adams, a co-owner of the team. “But the team we are sending this year is a strong one, and certainly can compete for stage wins.

“Our eight riders, including three Canadians, are a cohesive group, that have been training and racing together, most recently at La Route d’Occitanie, where Mike Woods took the GC (general classification) victory. I think our talented IPT squad will surprise some viewers this year. We are ready for an exciting Tour.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2023.

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