Australian rider Brady Gilmore clinched the biggest victory of his career on Thursday as he won the Tour de Taiwan.
Having moved into the yellow jersey on Wednesday’s fourth stage, the 23-year-old from Kalgoorlie successfully defended his slender GC advantage despite another day of attacks aimed at him and his Israel – Premier Tech teammates on the roads of Kaohsiung and Pingtung in south Taiwan.
Moritz Kretschy finished second overall, level on time with Gilmore, which marks his best result with the team. A day after winning Stage 4, Israeli sprinter Itamar Einhorn ended his race by finishing third on the stage.
Gilmore, who first joined IPT as a Stagiaire in 2023 and is now part of our Academy squad, adds his Taiwan success to his two stage victories in last month’s Tour du Rwanda. He also follows in the footsteps of British IPT rider Joe Blackmore, who won last year’s race.
“I mean, yeah, it’s pretty cool,” he says. “It hasn’t sunk in at all because the racing has been day in, day out, and we’re trying to get the job done. You’re always thinking about how to defend the jersey. It’s stressful, you know, so I’m sure when we go home it’ll feel good.
“Kudos to all the boys for riding their hearts out all week. It’s not possible to do this alone – it takes a really strong rider to get the jersey, but then it takes a team to defend it.”
Runner-up Kretschy (pictured below) adds: “I’m super happy – second place, the same time as Brady, and we’re in the same team, so we’re both winning.”
What makes this victory even more impressive is that it was achieved with a squad of young riders, most of whom are still part of IPT Academy, the development team that grooms riders for Israel – Premier Tech’s professional squad.
Aside from Einhorn, all four other riders on the team were Academy talents. Rotem Tene and Imry Faingezicht (pictured below) played pivotal roles in shutting down attacks throughout the race, ensuring that the team’s two GC contenders stayed in contention.
The team’s ability to develop young riders and turn them into winners is becoming a hallmark of its success. “I owe this to my teammates,” says Gilmore. “They were fantastic in protecting me all the way to the finish.”
Even the team’s fiercest competitors acknowledged their performance. Jordi López of Euskaltel – Euskadi, who finished third overall, praised the young squad’s resilience.
He says: “It was impressive to see such a young team stay so composed. We put them under constant pressure, but they handled it like experienced pros.”
Einhorn’s strong sprint capped a productive five days for the Israeli – this was his second third-place finish of the week (after Sunday’s opening stage in Taipei City), alongside his win in Kaohsiung on Wednesday.
“I felt strong and had a good sprint today, but it wasn’t quite enough for the win,” he says. “Still, I’m really happy with what we achieved here as a team—and also personally.”
Aviad Izrael, one of the IPT Academy directors who led the team alongside Lahav Davidzon, sees this as another major step forward for Israeli cycling.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” he adds. “Imry and Rotem played a crucial role in this victory, and of course, Itamar not only won a stage but also led the team with his experience, guiding and sacrificing for his teammates when needed.”
