Astana-Premier Tech rivals Israel Start-up Nation as most-Canadian WorldTour team

Ben Perry will jump up two levels of racing next season, as he comes aboard Astana-Premier Tech after a year with Continental outfit Israel Pro Cycling Academy. Perry was in the ProTeam side of Israel Pro Cycling Academy but didn’t “go up” with the squad when it became WorldTour team Israel Start-up Nation this year. Perry’s addition means that Astana-Premier Tech now rivals ISUN as the most-Canadian WorldTour team, with two Canuck riders, sport director Steve Bauer and co-title sponsorship from Québec’s Premier Tech.

?SIGNINGS
We are pleased to announce six new faces joining us:

??Samuele Battistella
??Stefan de Bod
??Andrea Piccolo
??Benjamin Perry
??Javier Romo
??Matteo Sobrero

? https://t.co/31q7Sn27ns#AstanaPremierTech #Season2021 pic.twitter.com/AyB8WSUQiF

— Astana Pro Team (@AstanaTeam) November 20, 2020

Israel Start-up Nation is co-owned by Canadian Sylvan Adams and will have Michael Woods, Alex Cataford  and James Piccoli racing next year. Currently, Guillaume Boivin, who has raced on ISUN since 2016, is not confirmed for 2021.

Perry started his pro career with Silber in 2015, where he won a stage of the 2016 Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay on his way to second place, before joining Israel Cycling Academy in 2017.

Perry’s step up gives Canada a record six athletes in the WorldTour: APT’s Perry and Hugo Houle; ISUN’s Woods, Piccoli and Cataford; and Antoine Duchesne at Groupama-FDJ.