Team Israel Start-Up Nation aim to win races and hearts in UAE

Team Israel Start-Up Nation during a training session. (Supplied photo)

Dubai - Racing is one thing. But if we, as a team, can also contribute to the positive relations between people or countries, then it is even better, said Goldstein

By Team KT

Published: Fri 19 Feb 2021, 7:06 PM

Last updated: Fri 19 Feb 2021, 7:19 PM

One year after its historic participation in the UAE Tour and a subsequent peace accord between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, Team Israel Start-Up Nation will begin its second UAE Tour on Sunday.

With a squad of seven riders, including Israeli champion Omer Goldstein, Andre Greipel and Alex Dowsett, the UAE Tour will see the much-anticipated debut of Chris Froome in Team Israel Start-Up Nation (ISN) uniform.

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“It is with much anticipation that I will be kicking off my 2021 season in Dubai at the UAE Tour,” said Chris Froome, who will compete in the race following three months of rehab and training in California.

“It will be my first race with Israel Start-Up Nation and the start of a new and exciting adventure for me. I look forward to racing with my new teammates and testing out my legs after a productive winter.”

For Team ISN, returning to the UAE Tour after its debut in 2020, has meaning far beyond racing.

Just months after last year’s UAE Tour, a peace agreement was signed between Israel and the UAE.

“Last year I noted that our Israeli team was warmly welcomed in the UAE,” said the team’s co-owner Sylvan Adams, who was part of an intimate group invited to witness the signing of the Abraham Peace Accords at the White House.

“Emiratis stood in line to get our riders’ autographs and souvenir bidons with the word ‘Israel’ emblazoned on them,” he recalled.

Adams is accompanying his team again this year at the UAE Tour.

He added “I truly believe that sports interactions, such as ISN’s racing in the UAE Tour, were building blocks, bridging these new, very warm relations with our neighbors. Happy to be back.”

Making his second appearance in the race will be Israeli Omer Goldstein, this time as national champion, a title he won for the first time in November.

“Racing is one thing,” Omer Goldstein says, “but if we, as a team, can also contribute to the positive relations between people or countries, then it is even better.”

The team’s ambitions for the UAE Tour, which consists of four flat stages, one individual time trial and two mountain stages, are clear.

“We aim for the highest results,” said Rik Verbrugghe, the team’s Sports Manager. “But it is hard to put a number on that. We want to show that [Andre] Greipel is still in the highest ranks amongst sprinters, and that (Ben) Hermans and (Chris) Froome are strong climbers.”

Andre Greipel will be competing in the UAE Tour for the fourth time in his career. He says that the UAE Tour has a lot to offer.

“Also, for Israel Start-Up Nation, there are multiple opportunities, as we are heading there with a great lead-out train for the flat stages, and with multiple strong climbers. I think we will be able to put out a strong showing at this race,” Greipel said.

For Israeli champion Goldstein, this will be the first opportunity to test his legs after last year’s breakthrough season, which culminated in his impressive performance at the Vuelta a Espana, one of cycling’s three Grand Tours.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the progress I made last season and show the team that I can help as we are stepping up.”