IPT's sixth participation at the 112th Tour de France starts in Lille on Saturday July 5 and ends in Paris on Sunday July 27. After targeting the GC at May's Giro d'ltalia, that saw Derek Gee record the team's best result in the race, IPT will turn to stage victories at the Tour de France. IPT will turn to climber Mike Woods, sprinter Pascal Ackermann and Criterium du Dauphiné stage winner Jake Stewart.
Alexey Lutsenko will make his first Tour start in IPT colors, having won a stage of the 2020 edition. Guillaume Boivin and Krists Neilands will both compete in their fifth Tours, and Matis Louvel will become the first Frenchman to be selected for IPT in the race since 2020. Debutant Joe Blackmore will line-up, after winning the 2024 Tour de l'Avenir, considered the under-23 equivalent fo the Tour.
"We want to win a stage. We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two and three will be intense. Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he's proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We'll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we'll utilize his strengths as we go forward."
-Steve Bauer. Sports Director
Mike Woods win on Puy de Dome, TdF 2023
"It's a crazy race and it's the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me - in a good way, but it's such a challenging race. The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible. Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I've received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I'm looking forward to returning to the Tour.
Everything from stage six onward I'm excited about. Don't expect to see me at all during those opening stages - I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I've won a stage in was the only one I didn't crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins."
-Mike Woods
Jake Stewart career-highlight victory on stage 5 at the Dauphiné
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