Alex Cataford and Ben Perry reunite at Israel Cycling Academy
The pair of Ontario natives rode together at Silber Pro Cycling and will ride with ICA in 2019
Canada’s influence on the Israel Cycling Academy will grow stronger in 2019 with Alex Cataford joining the UCI ProTeam. The signing reunites Cataford with Ben Perry who also resigned with the team. The pair rode together for two seasons at Silber Pro Cycling. Cataford rode for UnitedHealthcare the past two years racing a calendar of North America’s biggest races alongside a sizeable European campaign. Cataford is fresh off third overall at the Tour of Taihu Lake and finished 10th overall at the Colorado Classic in 2018.
The Israel Cycling Academy has a strong Canadian connection. The team is co-owned by Sylvain Adams who was also credited with bringing the Giro d’Italia start to Israel. Guillaume Boivin is going into his fourth season with the team.
“ICA has a special connection to Canada, because of my roots and connections there, “ said Adams who is native of Montreal but now calls Tel-Aviv home. “We now boast three riders from Canada, the second most after our Israeli contingent.”
Cataford faced a huge hurdle early in his cycling career when in 2014 he suffered broken vertebra and a fractured jaw when he was struck by a car while training in Tuscon, Arizona.
“I have enjoyed some good results, including several podiums at the Canadian ITT championships, second overall at the Tour of the Gila and other UCI stage race podiums. Despite my results, I still think my greatest achievement was getting back on the bike after my serious accident in 2014,” Cataford said.
Cataford showed his talent as a time trialist and stage racer with Silber notably finishing second at the Tour of the Gila which led to joining UnitedHealthcare the next year where he continued his development playing a supporting role for the UHC team leaders while earning some strong results.
“I am a strong time trialist, and can hold my own in the climbs as well. These skills do make me a good stage racer in the general classification. However, I like to think of myself as a very versatile rider who can fit into many different roles in the team,” he said. “I love the sport of cycling because it is a sport that rewards the most dedicated and hard-working athletes, qualities that I believe I have. My goals are to race the biggest races in the world, hopefully one day the big monuments and the Tour de France.”
ICA have set their eyes on a Tour de France invitation in the near future. This off-season they have strengthened the team adding Rudy Barbier, Davide Cimolai, Connor Dunne and Riccardo Minali. Perry has been with ICA for two seasons during which he has won a stage of the Baltic Chain Tour in 2017, was second to Antoine Duchesne at Canadian nationals in 2018 and has ridden many of the Belgian spring classics.
“My last two years with the Academy have been a whirlwind; being new to European racing is a learning curve. I learned a lot about my strengths as an individual but more importantly how to be a better teammate,” he said. “To be racing with and against some of the biggest names in sport has added on new layers and dimensions to my craft. I am so excited to keep perfecting this sport that I love so much.”
Reuniting with his former Silber teammate was an exciting prospect. “Alex and I have been friends for many years. We are both Ontario boys who first met at provincials in 2009; this was just my second bike race ever. Alex set the bar high by winning solo that day. We have had a few epic days out front in the break together, and our riding styles really complement one another. Reconnecting with an old teammate and good friend is the happiest coincidence I can think of.”
