By Ian Gordon
Stevie Williams is looking to add to his stellar season after being handed a dream debut at the Tour de France.
The 28-year-old will be part of the Israel Premier Tech line-up in the world’s greatest cycle race which starts in Florence, Italy, on June 29.
Williams heads into the race – his third Grand Tour after competing at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana – on the back of a superb 2024 with victories in the Tour Down
Under and Fleche Wallonne.
Check your mailbox as we’re excited to be off on our travels once again ✉️@LeTour race preview https://t.co/PfV8p1VCHM#TDF2024 #YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/T2TJTeFYQu
— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) June 21, 2024
“I’m looking forward to racing in my debut Tour de France,” said Aberystwyth-born Williams.
“It will be a special moment to line up at the biggest bike race in the world. It’s something I dreamt of as a kid growing up.
“This has already been a wonderful year for me so far with some nice victories.
“Now, I’m eager to target some stages over the next month and try to tick off a major goal for myself and for the team.”
Here it is, the official route of the #TDF2024!
Voici le parcours officiel du #TDF2024 ! pic.twitter.com/3ORf31AS4T
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) October 25, 2023
Premier Tech admit the aim is to bag a stage win and Williams showed with his victory at La Flèche Wallonne in April, when he became the first Brit to win the famous one-day race in Belgium.
Sports director Steve Bauer said of the stage aims. “It’s a clear goal that certainly 21 other teams have as well.
“We have a strong, balanced and versatile team with riders able to shine in different terrains, giving us potential to be competitive throughout the race as the Tour evolves stage by stage.
“The competition will be fierce, but I believe in the group we are bringing to this Tour.”
“In the past editions of the Tour, we have been successful racing aggressively, opportunistically and hunting for stage wins from breakaways.
“We will still need to do that, however, we need to be ready for the intense sprint finishes or even to challenge the best competitors in the mountains. Every stage is a chance and a new day to race hard to be in the game. The Tour is never easy, but we know we have guys who can win.”