The signing of Stevie Williams by Israel Premier Tech eliminated the possibility, though not technically impossible, of Mark Cavendish joining Israel Premier Tech.

Williams, like Cavendish, had agreed to join the B&B Hotels team.

Israel Premier Tech was a logical destination for Cavendish, a team with enough money to sign a lanky rider like him and in need of an invitation to the Tour de France after being demoted from the World Tour.

Cavendish, a 34-time Tour stage winner, is looking to completely rewrite the record he shares with Eddy Merckx in the final goal of his illustrious career. In theory, the move would guarantee both of them a spot in the Tour, which seemed to make sense since there was no other serious path for Cavendish.

However, the team issued a press release on Friday announcing that it had signed Williams to a contract plus an extension with Reto Hollenstein and closed its 28-player roster.

Cavendish's slot technically remains open, and he is still two riders short of the maximum number of places set by the UCI (International Cycling Union). However, if there was any possibility that negotiations were still ongoing, the team would not have said that rider registration was complete.

Similarly, another door closed on Friday. Euskaltel Euskadi, which is competing for a wildcard spot in the Tour de France in its home region of Basque Country, was vaguely connected by the same logic, but 20 riders have been registered for the 2023 edition.

As for Williams, after spending his first four years with Bahrain Victorious, the English youngster will join Israeli Premier Tech. The Welsh native was one of the most promising climbers after his success on the U23 circuit in 2018, but the start of his professional career was derailed by a serious and complicated knee injury.

He has regained his form in recent years, showing glimpses of his talent with a win in the 2021 CRO race and a stage win in this year's Tour de Suisse.

The 26-year-old joins the team on a one-year contract, which is not unusual for a rider picked up at the last minute after the collapse of another team.

"Stevie Williams was already a player on our radar earlier this year, so when he became available, we had no hesitation in bringing Stevie into IPT to complete our 2023 roster," team manager Kjell Carlström said.

"We were impressed with his victory in this year's Tour de Suisse and are confident that this is just the beginning of a great career. Stevie is a climber who packs a punch and will fit in perfectly as a winner and as a rider to help an experienced team leader. We are happy to welcome Stevie to the final day of team camp this week before he starts his real run in 2023."

Israel Premier Tech also tapped 37-year-old Swiss rider Reto Horenstein for his fourth season with the team.

"Reto Horenstein is one of my most valued teammates at IPT, always dedicating himself to the team leader and working hard for the team. Every team needs a rider like Reto who works selflessly for the team on any terrain," said Carlström.