History made as first Israeli cyclist competes in Tour de France

Israeli cyclist Guy Niv made history at the weekend as he became the first Israeli cyclist to complete the Tour de France.  

Niv was riding as part of the Team Israel Start-Up Nation squad, which was competing in the Tour for the first time. Until three years ago he was primarily a mountain biker and had little experience of road racing. 

Team owner Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli businessman, said: “He is such a brave kid. He faced the country’s and the team’s expectations and never blundered. I can promise you that we will be back next year with a strengthened team which will be led by the greatest cyclist of the generation — Chris Froome. We are just getting started.”

A jubilant Nir said: “I dreamed about racing in the Tour as a kid. I even witnessed it as a spectator on the side of the road. Now, I hope that this dream will be shared by many Israeli kids who will follow my footsteps — and surpass me.”