The professional cycling group Israel Startup Nation will land in Israel this coming Friday after a two-year exile following the Corona crisis.
As part of her arrival, she will inaugurate the opening of the gates of Israel with a week-long busy visit around the country that will include a reception with President Yitzhak Herzog, rides in the Jerusalem mountains and the Golan Heights, and meetings with the group's fans and young Israeli riders.
The team that ranks in the top tier in the world and recently finished a successful season with 17 victories including some of the biggest races in the world that placed it in the top ten in the world rankings - will reach Israel with all its riders led by one of the greatest riders in history Chris Fromm.
At a special reception at the residence of President Yitzhak Herzog and in the presence of its owners Sylvan Adams and Ron Bar-On - the team will be presented to all its riders, for the first time with well-known riders who have joined the roster for next season.
The riders themselves, led by Fromm, will give media interviews during the event.
"Throughout the season, I was moved by the warm support I received from the fans in Israel," Fromm said ahead of the visit.
"I look forward to the opportunity to meet and thank them in person. After a successful season the team will be wonderful to spend time together in this beautiful country."
The team was forced to cancel its training camp in Israel last season in the midst of the Corona crisis and for the past two years has competed in hundreds of races - all under the strict rules of the "Corona Bubble" imposed on the entire global industry.
Dan Martin (in green), from the Israel Start-up Nation Group, Photo: EPA,
"We see ourselves as ambassadors of beautiful Israel in each of our hundreds of races around the world," said team owner Sylvan Adams.
"Therefore, it is important to me that our international riders can experience for themselves some of the wonderful places of our country."
The group will ride this Saturday from Jerusalem to the summit of "Nes Harim" - the largest meeting district of the cycling scene in Israel, will hold the famous "Coffee Stop" (10 a.m. at "Bar Behar") - to allow a direct meeting with the group's fans.
During the visit, its international and Israeli stars will meet with young riders to "talk bikes" and even visit schools in the north before the "Ironman" competition that will take place there on Friday.
"It is very important to all of us that young Israeli riders know that they can go as far as possible with talent and hard work," said the group's Israeli rider Guy Niv who fulfilled this dream himself when he became the first Israeli to finish the Tour de France in Israel Startup Nation last season.
Niv, a resident of Atzmon, will lead the team to ride in the Golan Heights alongside his Israeli friends who have made impressive progress this year, led by Itamar Einhorn, the Israeli who achieved historic first year in the professional round when he defeats former world champion Peter Sagan.
"I am always eager to show our riders what the country has to offer."
The team will be hosted by President Yitzhak Herzog this coming Sunday before visiting Yad Vashem and from there to Tel Aviv to "Velodrome", the first track racing center in Israel established by Sylvan Adams and the Tel Aviv Municipality.
The Tel Aviv Velodrome will soon host the European Champions League.
