Blue-and-white cycling team into high gear with Giro prep

The 101st edition of the Giro d’Italia opens with three stages traversing Israel, marking the first time a Grand Tour has ever left Europe.

By ALLON SINAI
Over 500 children from the Beduin village of Wadi al-Na’am were treated to an event arranged by the Israel Cycling Academy, receiving bikes and racing shirts while taking part in a five-kilometer course with riders from ICA ’s development team. (photo credit: VELOIMAGES/COURTESY)
Over 500 children from the Beduin village of Wadi al-Na’am were treated to an event arranged by the Israel Cycling Academy, receiving bikes and racing shirts while taking part in a five-kilometer course with riders from ICA ’s development team.
(photo credit: VELOIMAGES/COURTESY)
Israel Cycling Academy continued its preparations for the Giro d’Italia when it completed its participation in the Volta a Catalunya on Sunday.
The team’s Belgian rider Ben Hermans was its best finisher, ending the race in 16th place overall, 2:54 minutes behind winner Alejandro Valverde. The Spaniard finished ninth in Sunday’s seventh stage that ended in Barcelona, but maintained a 29-second overall margin over his second-placed Movistar teammate Nairo Quintana of Colombia.
France’s Pierre Latour finished 47 seconds behind Valverde to claim third place.
Movistar also finished first in the team rankings, with ICA ending the race in 14th position out of 24 teams.
Meanwhile, ICA’s development team held an event for 500 Beduin children at Wadi al-Na’am, the largest unrecognized village in Israel that is home to about 5,000 Negev Beduins.
Wadi al-Na’am is located near Route 40, through which the third stage of the Giro will be raced on May 6.
ICA’s riders handed out bikes and racing shirts to the kids and led them through a five-kilometer course that was set up at the entrance to the village.
ICA, which has set itself the target of finding a Beduin rider with the talent to one day join its development team, plans to hold over the coming weeks more similar events in the cities through which the Giro will pass, including Jerusalem, Zichron Ya’akov and Mitzpe Ramon.
The 101st edition of the Giro d’Italia opens with three stages traversing Israel, marking the first time a Grand Tour has ever left Europe.
The race will see 176 of the world’s top cyclists begin the competition against the backdrop of Jerusalem’s Old City with a time-trial stage on May 4. That will be followed by road stages between Haifa and Tel Aviv (167 km) and Beersheba and Eilat (226 km).
The race will then head back to southern Italy.


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