SPORTS First Ever Israeli Cycling Team to Take Part in the Giro d’Italia

By Adam Smulevich
 
In January Israel’s first ever professional cycling team, Israel Cycling Academy, was invited to participate in the Giro d’Italia scheduled to begin in Jerusalem on May 4th. The managers of the team highlighted how this opportunity marks “a historic moment for Israeli sports and a great honor.”
 
In 2016 and 2017 the Academy in collaboration with our newspaper Pagine Ebraiche organized a cycling event to honor Gino Bartali: athletes and team executives cycled from Florence to Assisi to honour the memory of the Florentine champion who was recognized as a “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem in 2013 for his efforts in helping Jews during World War II.
 
Participating in the Giro represents a new challenge and the most important competition this young team has ever entered. 
 
“Israel Cycling Academy earned this opportunity with our excellent team, including experienced riders who have secured victories in two of the three Grand Tours” stated the team’s co-owner Sylvan Adams, who is also the Honorary President of the Giro’s “Big Start” in Israel. “We now expect to add a stage win in this year’s Giro and to place a team leader high in the General Classification of overall leaders. These are our goals in this year’s Giro”. 
 
Team founder and co-owner Ron Baron stressed the importance of the fact that the team has been selected for the Giro, both to Israel and to Israeli cycling.
 
“Our dream, almost unthinkable only three years ago when we launched the team, is now coming true: a professional team with world class Israeli riders alongside the finest international talents all united under the Israeli flag, racing with pride in a Grand Tour. I encourage all our fans from Israel and around the world to support the team as it makes history.”