Simon Clarke signs two-year contract extension at Israel-Premier Tech

Simon Clarke has signed a two-year contract extension at Israel-Premier Tech, tying himself to the team until the end of the 2024 season.

Clarke won the cobbled stage of this year’s Tour de France and has been a hit for the team since joining at the tail-end of last year.

The veteran was left without a team at the end of 2021 after the sudden demise of NextHash and it wasn’t until December that the 36-year-old signed a one-year deal with Israel-Premier Tech.

“It has been a huge rollercoaster in 2022 for me. Obviously ending the 2021 season with no team and then just chipping away, staying committed nonetheless, then getting a chance with Israel-Premier Tech, and then going on to having what has probably been one of the best seasons of my career.

“You have to take the ups and the downs but it has been a great year. I feel like the stage win in the Tour de France and the new contract I have signed is basically a reward for never giving up, sticking at it, staying positive even in the difficult times,” Clarke said in a press release.

Also read: Tour de France: After nearly retiring, Simon Clarke is back on top of world

“I’m super-happy to stay on with IPT considering they were the team that gave me that lifeline when I had no team. It was an easy decision to stick with the people that gave me that chance for the future. I’ve keen to stay on for a couple more years and hopefully we can continue the way this year has started.”

“A stage win in the Tour is definitely my biggest career objective and to have ticked that off with Israel-Premier Tech this year has been great for me personally, but also for the team. It was an honor to get the team their first Tour stage win. Next year, I just want to continue in the same fashion. I’ve set off on the right foot this year with this team and I plan to continue as I’ve been doing and hopefully some results keep coming.”

Team owner Sylvan Adams admitted that he had tried to sign Clarke back in 2021 but that after missing out on the 36-year-old they had a second chance at the end of last season – one they couldn’t afford to pass up.

“I have a confession to make about Simon Clarke. We wanted to sign him in 2021, but our roster was at capacity and it simply was not possible. But, when Simon fell out of contract due to the unfortunate demise of the Qhubeka team, we were able to correct that error, and Simon was added as our last roster addition.

“Simon has done everything we expected, and has proved his worth both as the consummate teammate, but also as a winner in his own right, as we saw on the mythical cobblestone stage 5 of the Tour de France. It’s great to have him back, and I wish Simon and IPT great success together in the next years,” Adams said.