As reported by Cyclingnews at the weekend, Simon Clarke has signed a one-year deal with Israel-Premier Tech, the team confirmed on Wednesday.
The Australian had been on the lookout for a squad after Qhubeka NextHash folded at the end of 2021 and now he has linked up with Chris Froome, Michael Woods and Jakob Fuglsang for the coming year.
The two-time Vuelta a España stage winner becomes the 31st rider on the team for 2022 and completes their roster.
"Firstly, I’m happy to have found a team. But secondly, I’m happy to have ended up in a team that I would have chosen to go to in the normal transfer window. So I’m not only happy that I can keep racing in the WorldTour, but happy with where I have ended up," Clarke explained.
"I don’t feel like I am coming to a new team at all because I have a handful of former teammates in the team, guys like [Daryl] Impey, [Sep] Vanmarcke, [Giacomo] Nizzolo, [Tom] Van Asbroeck, and even staff as well. It nearly seems like coming back, even though it’s not.
"In terms of goals, I can’t really say too much before I’ve had meetings with the team but I’m coming in with a pretty open mind in the fact that I will be happy with anything I do and will make the most of it. The one thing that this period of uncertainty that I’ve been through has really made me appreciate, is the good fortune I’ve had in my career. It has made me more grateful for having a good ride and making the most of it."
Clarke has ridden for a number of teams throughout his long career. He made a name for himself at Orica-GreenEdge and then became a valued road captain at EF Education First. A move to Doug Ryder's Qhubeka team followed but the second year of his contract was torn up when the team were unable to find enough investment to continue.
"As tough of a situation as it was, there were still positives to take out of it. This has taught me that you need to make the most of every opportunity, never leave a stone unturned, and race every race as though it may be your last. Because it actually could be," Clarke said.
"So, I’m extra motivated after having a bit of a period of reflection and I’m keen to get back at it and make the most of it with Israel-Premier Tech."
General manager Kjell Carlström confirmed that the team had talked to Clarke previously about joining.
"We are pleased to welcome Simon Clarke to the team. We had spoken to Simon in previous years so when the opportunity to sign Simon presented itself, we jumped at the chance. Simon is not only an experienced and talented rider but he is a proven winner, and his two Vuelta a España stage wins speak to that," he said.
"He had an impressive run of top ten results in 2021, in particular eighth place at Strade Bianche, and we are looking forward to seeing Simon in action this season. Simon will not only play an important role in helping our team leaders to win, but he will also have the chance to go for personal results. We see him adding significant value through his ability to contribute to the team's results."
