Simon Clark's (open in new tab) contract search is almost over, and the veteran Australian is on the verge of signing a one-year deal with Israel Premier Tech (open in new tab). Clark has been looking for a team since the decision to disband his team Qhubeka NextHash (open in new tab) last December. A veteran of two stage wins and the mountains jersey at the Vuelta a España, Clark has raced for numerous WorldTour teams during his long career and is known for his tactical skills and leadership during races. 2011, he spent one season with Astana Prior to that, he was a member of ISD Neri. He then spent four years with Orica-GreenEdge before moving to Cannondale-Drapac/EF Pro Cycling.

He signed a contract with Team Qhubeka NextHash for 2021 and 2022, but his options were limited when the team disbanded too late. He believed the team would survive another season, but management was unable to secure sufficient sponsorship funds. This season, Clark finished eighth in Strade Bianche, but he recovered from a serious injury and found his form in the second half of the season. He finished in the top 10 on one of the most difficult stages of the Tour of Britain and placed fifth in the Plymouth Classic. In an interview with Cycling Tips in December, Clark said it would be difficult to find a World Tour contract at this time of the season, but after connecting with several teams, including Cofidis, Clark was close to signing with Israeli startup Nation and and appears to have been handed a lifeline. A final decision is expected in the next few days, according to sources close to the deal.

"It's going to be difficult. The first difficulty will be finding a WorldTour team that actually has slots left because of UCI restrictions. Most of the teams are at capacity, so even if they were interested, they wouldn't be able to get other riders, and there's no chance of that," Clark told Cycling Tips.

"So we're looking at all the teams that may have slots left to compete and see how they're doing. And then of course there are the financial aspects, such as the cost to the teams to use other riders. Hopefully it will work out, but it's certainly not easy."

Israel Premier Tec (the parent company of four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome) recently announced that it has signed a sponsorship deal with Canadian company Premier Tec. The team signed a number of experienced riders in the transfer market this season, including Jakob Fuglsang, Giacomo Nizzolo, and Hugo Houle; 21-year-old Corbin Strong joins from the SEG Racing Academy, where he has been a member of the team for the past three years.

Clark becomes the 31st rider on the 2022 roster.