Omer Goldstein sports the 2020 ICA kit. ?Noa Arnon

The Israel Cycling Academy (ICA) may be making changes to their 2020 roster and to their bike of choice, but they’re sticking with a tire they know they can trust. Maxxis will again be ICA’s Official Tire for the coming season.

Israel’s first pro cycling team, ICA has reason to be confident in Maxxis tires. Riding Maxxis, the team competed in this year’s entire Giro d’Italia with no flats, and in a season which saw 300 race days with an average of 7 riders each day, had only 40 flats for the whole year.

Maxxis benefited from its partnership with ICA as well, using data and feedback from riders in its ongoing tire development process. ICA’s race schedule gave Maxxis the opportunity to test tires in the most demanding race conditions, from the long, high-elevation stages of the Giro d’Italia to the gravel sections of the Adriatica Ionica. One highlight of this process was a marked improvement in the High Road’s wet grip performance, a gain made possible by solid communication between ICA and the company.

The 2020 ICA kit. ?Noa Arnon

In 2020, the team will enjoy exclusive use of Maxxis’ new Yalla Academy tires, named in honor of ICA. All team tires will feature the HYPR-S compound for exceptional wet grip ability and improved rolling resistance; high-density casing using 170TPI (ONE70) technology, offering a more supple ride at a lighter weight; and improved breaker layers introduced to the High Road, maintaining puncture protection along with excellent rolling resistance.

Another change for 2020 is the addition of American rider Travis McCabe to the roster. “ICA has always raced in the States, and I feel like I have always competed against the guys in international races as well, so it is pretty cool to finally come aboard, especially now that the Israel Cycling Academy has made the step up to the World Tour,” McCabe noted earlier this month. With experience racing in Australia and Taiwan, plus talent proven by achievements such as his four wins in the Tour of Utah, McCabe is expected to be an asset to the team during the coming year.

Factor Bikes, joining Maxxis as an ICA sponsor next year, will also give a boost to the team’s chances. Riders will employ a variety of models, including the 02VAM bike for climbing and the ONE, which has been praised as the “fastest aero road bike ever tested in wind tunnels and on the road.”

Factor’s 02VAM and ONE bicycles. ?Factor bikes

The team’s 2020 schedule is packed with grueling races, including the Tour de France. The new roster is listed below.

Matteo Badiletti (Switzerland), Rudy Barbier (France), Jenthe Biermans (Belgium), Guillaume Bovin (Canada), Matthias Brändle (Austria), Alexander Cataford (Canada), Davide Cimolai (Italy), Alex Dowsett (Great Britian), Itamar Einhorn (Israel), Omer Goldstein (Israel), Andre Greipel (Germany), Ben Hermans (Belgium), Hugo Hofstetter (France), Reto Hollenstein (Austria), Dan Martin (Ireland), Travis McCabe (USA), Daniel Navarro (Spain), Krists Neilands (Latvia), Guy Niv (Israel), James Piccoli (Canada), Nils Politt (Germany), Mihkel Räim (Estonia), Alexis Renard (France), Guy Sagiv (Israel), Patrick Schelling (Switzerland), Rory Sutherland (Australia), Norman Vahtra (Estonia), Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark) and Rick Zabel (Germany).