Israel seeks to host part of Tour de France following success in competition this month

Michael Woods of the Israel Premier Tech cycling team won Stage 9 of the Tour de France race, which took place on July 9.

The Israeli success has boosted the Jewish state’s aspirations to potentially host at least part of the prestigious race in the Holy Land.

Canadian-born Woods described the incredible victory, calling it the highlight of his cycling career.

“Winning individually was very special. It is my career highlight and it is something I will be very proud of,” Woods said. However, he stressed that cycling is primarily a team sport.

“I was the one who crossed the line first but I couldn’t have done it without my team. This is a team sport,” Woods said.

Dirk de Mol, sports director for the Israel Premier Tech team, praised his team's achievements.

“I am super happy. We are all super happy about the team. Almost every day, we have been in the breakaway. Plus a well-deserved win, a very prestigious one, the Puy de Dome,” de Mol said.

The Tour de France entered its final stage on Sunday in Paris, after three weeks of intense competition which began in Spain on July 1. The Israeli team riders could be seen among the many cyclists from nations worldwide.

Sylvan Adams, the Canadian-Israeli owner of Israel Premier Tech, stressed the importance of promoting the Jewish state via large, popular sporting events like the Tour de France

"Normalizing the good name of Israel, the brand that I feature, that's the thing that drives me, the reason I'm proud to have our team at the Tour de France, and why I think we're doing so much good for the country. That has a real strategic benefit," Adams stated.

"I call myself the self-appointed ambassador-at-large for Israel, and the most important part of the race for me is the reception that we received on the roads of France," he added.

In 2022, Adams floated the idea of a future World Cup being hosted jointly by Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Since then, Adams has reportedly secured agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to organize a "Peace Tour," which he described as a stage race with one stage taking place in each of the Abraham Accords signatory countries.

"It's a beautiful initiative, and I'm proud to say I've only had cooperation between those countries, and we plan to inaugurate this in October 2024."

According to Adams, while most people are not interested in politics, "most people are interested in sports, music and other cultural events. I’m trying to speak to the people that I call the ‘silent majority,’ who don’t know or care that much about Israel."