Guy Niv to be first Israeli cyclist to participate in the Tour de France
Niv's background is mostly in mountain climbing, with only three years of experience in competitive cycling, making him an interesting pick.
By TOBIAS SIEGALGuy Niv in action.(photo credit: NOA ARNON)
An Israeli cyclist will participate in the 2020 Tour de France for the first time ever.Guy Niv, 26, will be the first Israeli to participate in the world’s biggest and most prestigious cycling competition in the world – the Tour de France.Niv was selected by his teammates from Israel Start-Up Nation, an Israeli cycling team established in 2015 that participates in international competitions around the world. In 2018, the team’s management played an essential role in bringing the Giro d’Italia, one of the three Grand Tour races, to begin in Israel.The decision to pick Niv as the Israeli representative to the competition stood out, as Niv’s background is mostly in mountain climbing, with only three years of experience in competitive cycling.This year’s Tour de France, will feature more than 50,000 meters of climbing, which according to team manager Kjell Carlstrom, was one of the reasons for choosing Niv for the highly contested slot.“As a climber he is best suited to face this huge challenge,” explained Carlstrom. “But he also showed us that he keeps progressing in other aspects, both mentally and physically. He is already a better rider and more robust than he was when he finished the Giro d’Italia last year, so he gets the precious spot in the lineup that he deserves... we trust him,” Carlstrom said.Team Israel Start-Up Nation, which is also making history as the first Israel-based team to participate in the Tour de France, also announced that two other Israelis will be participating in Grand Tours later this year. Guy Sagiv, the first Israeli to ever finish a Grand Tour, will race in the Giro d’Italia, while Omer Goldstein will race in the Vuelta a Espana.Guy Niv (Credit: Noa Arnon)Ron Margaliot and Ron Baron who founded the team five years ago said that this is all they ever hoped for.“When we founded the team, this was our biggest dream,” said Baron. “We believe that this achievement will inspire the next generation of young Israelis to take on cycling.”
Niv said he was honored to represent his country on “the world’s biggest stage,” and recalled how, as a young boy celebrating his Bar Mitzvah, asked his parents to take him to the Tour de France as a birthday present.“I get goosebumps from just the thought that I get to race in it,” Niv said. “I hope that my start in the Tour de France will inspire kids in Israel to choose cycling as their sport. After we hosted the Giro d’Italia we started to see growth in Israeli cycling, and now comes the next big step.”“It’s a proud moment for Israel, for Israeli sports and for me, The team’s co-owner, Canadian-Israeli businessman Sylvan Adams concluded.The Tour de France is primarily held in France and lasts for 23 complete and intense days for participants, who cover a total of 2,156 miles (ca. 3,470 km) that are stretched out across several countries. 2020’s Tour de France, will start on Saturday, August 29, and will end on Sunday, September 20.
