Israeli cycling start-up coming to the Amgen Tour of California

It prides itself as a first-of-a-kind Israeli cycling startup. The first-ever Israeli cycling team with 30 riders from all corners of the world that has proven it can beat all odds. And now it is set to face the most challenging Amgen Tour of California ever.

Israel Cycling Academy will begin racing this coming Sunday, May 12 in the Amgen Tour of California for the first time, a World Tour race at the highest level. They will be coming through South Lake Tahoe on the second day of the race, May 13. For the Israeli team, this kind of challenge is its expertise: facing the most difficult races in the world despite having been founded little over four years ago, carrying a relatively modest budget, and coming from a country that has never had a professional team or been a cycling powerhouse.

“California and the USA are going to be our home away from home,” said Israeli Champion Roy Goldstein.

The first-ever Israeli pro cycling team is facing a giant task: racing in the Giro d’Italia and California at the same time. “We can try to win at both sides of the ocean,” declared the team’s manager, Kjell Carlström.

This has been part of Israel Cycling Academy’s unique DNA since its inception in 2015. A young Israeli cyclist who dreamed of getting to the Tour de France, but who, after failing to achieve his own dream, partnered with an Israeli business and Jewish Canadian philanthropist Sylvan Adams to start a team and help others achieve what he couldn’t.

With Adams as a co-owner, the team achieved success and victory all over the globe. Adams and the team were the force behind bringing the Giro d’Italia to Israel last May. And the team is now coming to the Amgen Tour of California.

“I am excited that Israel Cycling Academy will be racing in the iconic Amgen Tour of California for the first time in mid-May,” said Adams. “With a California Jewish population of nearly 2 million, including approximately 500,000 Israeli expats, I expect that ICA riders will feel the warmth from friendly spectators along the route, waving the Israeli blue and white flag, cheering for their team. For me, ICA is the team of the entire Jewish people. The riders are motivated to race a great race in front of what they consider to be a real home crowd.”

The team hopes to enlarge its reach after amassing huge support from fans in Israel and all over the globe. Although the team is starting its second Giro d’Italia a day before the Amgen Tour of California, it’s still assembling a strong squad for California. A special mix of riders will represent ICA: Israeli champion Roy Goldstein, Guy Sagiv, the Israeli who made cycling history by finishing the Giro last year. Former Colombian National Champion Edwin Ávila, Swiss climber Matteo Badilatti, Norwegian power sprinter Sondre Holst Enger, emerging Canadian talent Alex Cataford, and Kiwi Hamish Schreurs.

The team is used to an international mix, having riders from 18 different nationalities and three different religions. The Peres Centre named all of Israel Cycling Academy’s riders for Peace as peace ambassadors. “We are human bridge builders,” said Israeli Guy Sagiv, who became the most admired athlete in Israel last May as the whole country was captivated by his heroic battle to become the first Israeli ever to finish the Giro d’Italia. Now, he is coming to race in California.

“With 30 riders in our team we are ready to face our biggest races of the season having the ability to put in line two strong teams and that’s what we were able to do,” said ICA Manager Kjell Carlström. “We were definitely dealt a big blow with the knee injury to our top GC rider Ben Hermans in the Flèche Wallonne classic 10 days ago. We intended that he will be our GC man in California, but he just could not recuperate on time, so we needed to change strategy: Instead of going with GC aspirations to California we send a very versatile team that can be in contention at every stage. We have two fast riders, Avila and Enger, a great climber
(Badilatti) and guys for breakaways like Canadian Alex Cataford, plus two Israelis with very special motivation. Because for us as an Israeli team it’s like racing in our second home in many ways. This is very important to us: to reach a huge and supportive audience on the other side of the ocean and compete at the highest level you can find.”

Israeli champion Roy Goldstein added, “for us, it’s really home away from home. I expect so many Israeli flags on the side of the roads. It will give us goosebumps and amazing motivation. I followed this race for years and it will be great to take part in it.”

The Amgen Tour of California is a 7-stage race that begins in Sacramento on May 12 and ends in Pasadena on May 18. The team has raced and been invited to the most famous UCI bike races in the world, including the Giro d’Italia, Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, and many others.

- Special provided to South Tahoe Now