Premier Tech has been confirmed as a co-sponsor of the Israeli Startup Nation team for 2022. The WorldTour team, founded by Sylvain Adams and featuring four-time Tour winner Chris Froome, will race this season as Israel Premier Tech after the partnership was confirmed on Thursday.

The deal has been months in the works since Premier Tech announced last year that it was stepping away from its commitment to support and co-sponsor Astana.

Canada's Premier Tech had relationships with several other teams for 2022, including Rally Cycling and Qhubeka NextHash, and was on the verge of joining forces with Team BikeExchange last fall, but the deal fell through at the last minute.

At that point, it looked like Premier Tech would bide its time before returning to the sport at a later date, but before this season, it moved Jakob Fuglsang and Hugo Houle from Astana to the Israeli project, including Steve Bauer of Directeur Sportif Staff members were also transferred.

Premier Tech was rumored at one point earlier this year to be announced, possibly before the Tour de France, but this announcement appears to have been moved up and approved by the sports governing body in the last 48 hours.

"With four Israelis and five of the six Canadians competing in the UCI World Tour, this team in many ways reflects my two nationalities," Adams said in a statement sent to the media on Thursday.

"As a Canadian-based international company, Premier Tech is a natural partner for us and we are Premier Tech's natural home. We are proud to have Jean Bélanger and Premier Tech on board with our project. Premier Tech will help us achieve the lofty goals we have set for this team. We are delighted to have Premier Tech as a co-title sponsor and to unveil our new jerseys today."

"We also want to thank Tel Aviv-based Startup Nation Central for their trust and support over the past two years. And while we will not be the title sponsor, we are pleased that SNC will continue to support the team and increase exposure for the Israeli startups it nurtures and supports around the world where Israeli Premier Tech takes place."

Adams has been looking for a second title sponsor for some time and told Cycling News last summer that he would welcome another brand on the jersey, but that Israel would remain the star. That stance remains the same, and for Premier Tech, there is a sustainable future in cycling with more like-minded partners.

The Canadian company, which decided to co-sponsor Astana, was initially excited but had serious concerns about Alexandre Vinokurov and his management. He was forced to step down, but returned to the team a few months later. At this point, it was clear that the relationship between Astana and Premier Tech was unsustainable.

Last October, Bélanger attended the team's post-season camp, and in his statement said that the Israel-Adams deal was perfect for both organizations.

"When deciding on the next chapter for Premier Tech in UCI World Tour Cycling, we decided to take the time to find the best possible fit for a long-term partnership. From the moment we began our conversation with Sylvan Adams, a longtime acquaintance, it was clear that we had found common ground and shared a vision.

"In discussions and interactions with Sylvain and myself and the other leaders of the team, that feeling grew stronger and led to today's announcement. [This was a crucial element for a company like Premier Tech, which has approximately 5,000 team members in 28 countries and does business in more than 100 countries. We are confident that 2022 will be a successful year for the team as we launch as Israel Premier Tech."

Along with the signings of Houle and Fuglsang, the team signed Giacomo Nizzolo and Corbin Strong to bolster its roster for 2022. Nizzolo is a stage winner at the 2021 Giro d'Italia and will lead the sprints.

The team said goodbye to both Daniel Martin and Andre Greipel, both of whom retired after last season and will support Chris Froome at the Tour de France.

"2022 is going to be an exciting year for Israel Premier Tech. As a team we have always aimed to grow year by year." And now, after two years at the UCI World Tour level, we are about to embark on an important new chapter with the addition of Premier Tech.

." In addition to an already strong team, we have added an important name to our roster of riders." "Together with our partners Sylvain Adams, Ron Baron, Kevin Ham, and Jean Bélanger of Premier Tech, we can aim for an ambitious first season as Israel Premier Tech, building on our successful track record as Israel's first professional cycling team. We believe in it."