Cycling legend Chris Froome has completed a two-day cycling adventure through the heart of Israel on the Israel National Trail, taking him from the depths of the Dead Sea to the heights of the Judean mountains.
Chris Froome has come first place four times at the renowned Tour de France, twice at the Vuelta a España, and once at the Giro d'Italia. This makes him one of seven cyclists to have won all three cycling Grand Tours, and one of three to have one them consecutively.
Froome joined up with Team Israel Premier Tech in 2021, bringing a valuable set of skills and immeasurably valuable experience to the nascent team.
Froome was invited to experience Israel through the Israel National Trail by his new team, accompanied by veteran Israeli cyclist Guy Niv. They began their journey at Masada, like many new IDF recruits or birthright trips, describing the trip down from the mountain top as "unreal".
Having reached the lowest place on Earth, Froome and the team grabbed some beers and watermelon as they floated in the water and enjoyed the incredible view.
Their next stop was Jerusalem where Froome and the team tried a multitude of wines and then cycled through the steep winding streets of the Old City followed by a trip to Mahane Yehuda market.
Diverse in nature and culture
"The last forty-eight hours for me in Israel have been such an eye-opener. Just how diverse the country is in nature, in culture, it’s really just been such an energizing experience. It’s been incredible for me to just be able to feel like a kid again: mountain biking, floating on the Dead Sea eating watermelon and having a beer, just really switching off.", Froome said commenting on the whole experience.
"It was simply amazing to see Chris appreciating the beautiful sides of the country. He was calm and relaxed like a true tourist. Just a year ago, we were competing together in the Tour de France, but this time we experienced something completely different." said Guy Niv.
Sylvan Adams, the owner of the team and an Israeli philanthropist, explained his reasons for setting up the trip: "Given the recent atmosphere in the country, I believe that now is the perfect time to showcase the captivating beauty of Israel to the world and remind ourselves of the remarkable land that we all cherish and adore. Chris’s personal voyage of discovery in Israel, when seen by hundreds of millions of Tour viewers, will surely whet the appetite of new tourists to our country. They will discover, as Chris did, the exotic wonders, adventures, and utter enjoyment that a trip to Israel entails."