British cyclist notches up first-ever stage win for Team Israel at Giro d’Italia
Alex Dowsett cried as he passed the finish line for the 'Start-Up Nation' team who marked their historic first victory at one of the Grand Tour races
A British rider for an Israeli professional cycling team won a stage of one of the three major international races for the first time ever on Saturday.
Alex Dowsett from Maldon won Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia for Team Israel Start-Up Nation, which was established in 2015 and joined the highest level of professional cycling only last year.
He was part of a breakaway group alongside ISN team-mate Matthias Brändle at the the Giro d’Italia, which is one of cycling’s three prestigious Grand Tour races, along with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana.
Dowsett, , who is the British ITT champion, cried after he passed the finish line, and said: “Matthias and I never stopped believing. Having two in the break of six was essential… It could easily have been Matthias [who won the stage].”
Alex-Dowsett on the podium after his win at the Giro D’Italia (Credit: Bettini Photos)
Team co-owner Sylvan Adams said: “All the excitement demonstrates that our project has significance beyond sport, it’s showing the true heart of Israel to hundreds of millions of fans around the world. I could not be more proud,”
Israel Start-Up Nation made its first appearance in the Giro d’Italia in 2018 when Adams, a Canadian-Israeli real estate magnate, brought the cycling race to Israel for the first three stages, the first time any leg of cycling’s Grand Tour races took place outside of Europe.
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