Cyclingroad cycling

Team introduction: The exciting project of the Israel Start-Up Nation

by

Israel Start Up Nation

Cycling: Last season, the Israel Start-Up Nation was part of the WorldTour for the first time. Now the team wants to become a top team with Chris Froome. We look at the team's roster and are pessimistic about their lofty goals.

Israel Start-Up Nation 2020: 30x podium

The Israel Start-Up Nation team's first WorldTour season went quite well. 10 wins, 8 second places and 12 third places were achieved. Even if most of the good results didn't come at WorldTour level, the team management should be satisfied with the performance. Alex Dowsett won a stage at the Giro d'Italia and Daniel Martin celebrated at the Vuelta a Espana about a day's success and fourth place in the overall standings.

Transfers: A questionable upheaval

While many competitors are looking to rejuvenate their team, the Israel Start-Up Nation is taking a different approach. 7 departures face 9 additions. The team is not getting any younger, but more experienced – to put it positively. The team is to be built up Chris Froome who won the Tour de France four times and has his sights firmly set on his fifth victory. The noble helpers around Daryl Impey, Michael Woods, and Alessandro DeMarchi and Sep Vanmarcke are all over 30 years old. For another good season, it might just be enough for all of the above. But they cannot really stand for the future of the team. This also applies to the 29-year-olds Patrick Bevin and Carl Fredrik Hagen to. Bring young blood only Sebastian Berwick and Taj Jones into the squad. The team will most likely miss the German sorely Nils Politt. The classic hunter is also due to the new Grand Tour focus on Chris Froome.

Israel Start-Up Nation 2021: Disappointment inevitable

If the team's star purchase is already 35 years old and the Edelhelfer are all at least 32 years old, then the future doesn't look very rosy. One thing is clear: the well-known newcomers must already deliver in 2021, otherwise the exciting project of the Israel Start-Up Nation is in danger of failing. You don't really like to believe that the project will work. Chris Froome is miles away from his best since his crash in 2019. No one trusts the Briton to win the Tour de France again. Can his helpers step into the breach? Probably not. But even apart from the newcomers, the squad as a whole is far too old. Only 14 of the 32 riders are under the age of 29. And none of them will feature in big races. Either way, there has to be another upheaval in the next transfer window. Until then have to André Greipel and Co. try to make the best of it...

You can find the complete squad of the Israel Start-Up Nation team HERE.

Tags:Israel Start Up NationNewsseason previewteam introduction

More than Michael Behringer

Cycling with all its tactics, stage analyses, placements and forecasts are Michael Behringer's great passion. In 1996 he tracked his first Tour de France. Since then he has observed almost every race. His passion for cycling has been with him for over two decades. There is no end in sight.