大象传媒

Williams signs four-year Israel-Premier Tech deal

Israel-Premier Tech rider Stephen WilliamsImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

In 2024 Stephen Williams has won the Israel-Premier Tech team's first World Tour stage race and one day classic

  • Published

Stephen Williams has signed a four-year contract extension to keep him at Israel-Premier Tech until 2028.

Welshman Williams, 28, joined the team in 2022 and is in their squad at the Tour de France.

In April, the former Bahrain-Victorious rider became the first British male to win the Fleche Wallonne spring classic in Belgium.

"I feel like I have found my place on a team where I can get the best out of myself on the bike," said Williams.

"As we have seen with the way I have been racing, especially from last year鈥檚 Giro d鈥橧talia onwards, I鈥檝e taken a real step up.

"It has been rewarded with some nice results and even though I am fairly new on the team, it feels like I have been here for 10 years not one year."

Williams signed his first professional deal with Bahrain-Merida in 2019 but suffered an 18-month setback in his career following a knee injury.

The Aberystwyth-born rider went on to win a stage and take overall victory at 2021's Cro Race, but was left without a contract when the team he planned to join for 2023 failed to get off the ground.

Since joining Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) he has also won the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway and the 2024 Tour Down Under.

He will make his Olympic debut for Team GB next month in Paris.

"I鈥檓 28 years old now and the next four years are probably in that window when I become my best and keep improving," added Williams.

"So to have this offer from the team gave me huge confidence and I didn鈥檛 hesitate to extend with IPT. I am so happy in the team, and I see the way I have stepped up in just one year here, so I can鈥檛 wait for the next four."

Related topics