About 1,800 riders from Israel and 400 riders from 35 countries participated in the race. After Jerusalem, the next target of the race, in about two weeks, is New York, where the tradition began.
There were three sections bikers could race in, where the longest was 130 km long, the other was 70 km long and for the first time, the race offered an amateur level race with a 28 km length route.
The route took the bikers through Jerusalem's roads, passing through different historical sites such as the old city walls, Jaffa gate and the government quarters.
"This is a real celebration for the participants, and of course for the city, we have riders from all over the world and thousands of riders from Israel, we started last year with 200 riders from abroad, and this year we managed to double that,"
Director of Tourism Development in Jerusalem Ilanit Melchior said.
Melchior added that "This event is proof that topics like sports, tourism and riding go together. In recent years Jerusalem has succeeded in turning cultural events into international tourist events and stabilizing itself as a leading tourist destination in the world."
shaun gad, CEO of GFNY Global Racing, who came all the way from New York, added that "The Jerusalem Municipality approached us three years ago to bring the race to Israel. After we managed to make the race in Israel for the first time last year very successfully, I am happy to see the thousands of riders who came to the second race this year."
"We are here today with almost 2,000 riders and amazed by the responsiveness and desire to take part in the race. I hope that in the coming years we will grow more and more and will continue to develop the riding culture in Israel and throughout the world," Gad concluded.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon also commented, saying "Jerusalem is a magnet for many important international sports events, including the prestigious GFNY bike race, and the participating riders enjoyed an extraordinary experience from the city and its unique character. See you next year."