Israel Start-Up Nation signs Patrick Bevin and Sebastian Berwick
New Zealand all-rounder Patrick Bevin and Australian up-and-comer Sebastian Berwick are the latest names announced to be joining Israel Start-Up Nation next year as the team continues to bolster its lineup around new arrival Chris Froome.
Bevin will join the team on a two-year deal after two seasons with CCC. The 29-year-old has proven a capable all-rounder over the past few years, putting together a strong collection of results in 2015 with Avanti and then making the WorldTour jump with Cannondale-Drapac, where he spent two years prior to his CCC stint.
He counts two New Zealand TT titles on his career palmares to go with several strong showings in one-week races, including a 2019 Tour Down Under campaign that saw him win a stage and lead the race for multiple days only to drop out of GC contention after a crash. Last October, he finished fourth in the TT at Worlds, missing the podium by three seconds.
“In the last few years, Patrick has shown that he has great potential to perform both in short stage races and TTs,” said team manager Kjell Carlstrom. “We believe he will be an important piece in building the support structure around Chris, and at the same time, he’ll also get his own chances in other races. We believe he will also prove valuable in races where he hasn’t previously had the opportunity to go for results.”
Bevin is among several notables set to depart from CCC at the end of the year. As the team faces an uncertain future with Polish footwear brand CCC pulling out as a sponsor, longtime team members Greg Van Avermaet and Michael Schär are also leaving, having signed for the AG2R La Mondiale squad.
Berwick, 20, will be making the jump to the WorldTour as he joins Israel Start-Up Nation for next year after two seasons with the St George Continental squad. He enjoyed a breakout performance this February at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, where he rode to second overall.
“In Sebastian, we see a rider who can benefit a lot from being around our leaders like Froome and [Dan] Martin,” Carlstrom said. “He will have the possibility to develop with us, and in the years to come we’ll see just how far he can go.”
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