Canada’s Steve Bauer, Alex Cataford move up at Israel-Premier Tech cycling team

By Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press on December 2, 2024.

Canadians Steve Bauer and Alex Cataford have new jobs with the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team.

Bauer moves from sport director to sporting manager while Cataford, who has retired from racing, becomes one of the team’s sports directors.

Francesco Frassi, as another sports director, and Marc Quod, in the newly created position of performance optimization coordinator, also join Israel-Premier Tech’s performance department.

Bauer will oversee the team’s sports directors and race calendar.

“After three years with IPT, Steve Bauer was the natural choice to step up to the sporting manager role having previously held the position at CCC (Pro) Team,” team GM Kjell Carlström said in a statement Monday. “Steve’s experience and skills will be important in shaping our sporting and performance departments, which continue to grow as we work our way back to the WorldTour.”

Israel-Premier Tech lost its WorldTour designation in 2022, after the UCI world governing body introduced promotion and relegation, but is in position to rejoin the 18-team top tier at the end of 2025. As one of the top-ranked ProTeam squads in the second tier standings, Israel-Premier Tech and also-relegated Lotto-Dstny were assured places in Grand Tour and major one-day classic races.

The 65-year-old Bauer, from St. Catharines, Ont., joined Israel-Premier Tech in January 2021.

Bauer won a silver medal in road racing at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It marked Canada’s first Olympic cycling medal since 1908 and its first-ever men’s road race medal.

In 1998, he became the first Canadian to win a stage at the Tour de France.

He won five stages in all during the 1988 Tour and finished fourth overall – a Canadian record. Bauer rode in the Tour de France 11 times between 1985 and 1995,. He wore the yellow jersey for nine stages in 1990.

Bauer is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame.

Cataford raced two seasons with United Health Care before joining Israel-Premier Tech in 2019. He spent four years racing with the team before retiring after his contract was not renewed.

“I am happy to come back to IPT next season,” said the 31-year-old from Ottawa. “The team has been on a constant upward trajectory, and when I was presented with the opportunity to join as a DS (sports director) I did not hesitate for a second.

“Personally, I am looking forward to the new role and challenges that come with it. Instead of being on the bike with the guys, this time around I will be supporting them from the team car.”

Founded in 2014 Israel-Premier Tech has plenty of Canadian ties.

Canadian-Israeli entrepreneur Sylvan Adams is co-owner. Canadians Jean Belanger, president and CEO of Premier Tech based in Rivière-du-Loup. Que., and Kevin Ham are also partners in the team.

Canadians Paulo Saldanha is the team’s performance director.

The Israel-Premier Tech pro team includes Canadian riders Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, Derek Gee, Riley Pickrell and Guillaume Boivin as well as Dylan Bibic, Carson Mattern, Luke Valenti and Pier-Andre Cote on its developmental team.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024