Development the name of game for Israeli team
CYCLING FOLLOWING the practice of many of the world’s leading professional teams, Israel’s Cycling Academy has launched a new development team.
Announced in Tel Aviv, the team, consisting of eight Israeli riders, will serve as a feeder to the senior Pro-Continental Academy Team and has been named Cycling Development Team.
In what can be seen as the most significant investment in its future, Israel’s newly founded UCI Pro-Continental team Cycling Academy (CAT) started racing early this year.
The first-ever Israeli Professional Cycling team has recruited the best under-23 Israeli riders for its development team following an intensive selection process which included a series of testing sessions, with the eight final riders making the cut.
“This is an investment, not only in our future, but in the future of Israeli cycling,” said manager Ran Margaliot.
“We took not only road cyclists, but also several great mountain bikers. We see ourselves responsible to support and guide those young Israeli talents.
“We want to give them the opportunity to make it to the highest levels of the pro cycling world.”
Team management has also recruited logistics and professional staff to support the new team, with Israel’s national MTB team manager, Aviad Izrael, as the new boss.
Sports director Oscar Guerrero, who is also working with the senior Pro-Continental team, will direct the young team on the road.
The aim is to compete at some of the world’s greatest U23 UCI races, including Paris-Roubaix U23, Giro del Valle d’Aosta and the U23 Giro d’Italia. The Pro-Continental “mother team” intends to take the best two or three riders from its feeder team as Stagiaires later this year.
The Pro-Continental team has already signed three Israeli riders and has now taken a major step to guarantee it will be able to draw more Israeli riders to the senior squad in the future.
FOOTBALL SAM Rank insists Redbridge Jewish Care B are on the verge of something special after they completed a quickfire double over Scrabble FC, ending their automatic promotion hopes in the process.
Goals from Dan Andrews, Dean Ben Yosef, Brad Gayer, Anthony Cope and Jack Van Gelder mean they will be crowned champions if they win at Division One title rivals Lions B on Sunday.
“The boys were brilliant,” said RJC boss Rank. “It was a fantastic squad performance. Today was the second of three cup finals and the boys passed the test with flying colours.
“They have come on in leaps and bounds this season and have bought into my football philosophy, knowledge and love for the game, and it is amazing to be around.”
A solitary strike from Sam Lewis ended title hopes as they were edged out by Lions A in the Premier Division.
Hendon boss, David Garbacz, commented: “I sound like a broken record, but once again our injury situation killed us. Not only did we have no subs but two of our 11 starters could barely move, and we found ourselves pretty much going through the motions with only nine men.”
Camden Park condemned Woodford Wanderers to a bottom-two finish after playing out a 2-2 draw.
Mike Khalatschi and Kane Gilbery were the marksmen for Camden, while Adam Shafron and Darryl Green accounted for Woodford’s goals.
Camden’s Stirling Kay remarked: “This was our worst performance so far. Having said that, we had plenty of great chances throughout the game and should’ve won by a mile.”
Matt Leader, Jacob Gold, Jake Gilbert and Will Ufland registered as North London Raiders B returned to the top four following a resounding 4-1 triumph over Athletic Bilbaum.
Jacob Brunner won and converted a penalty for the Baums.
NLR boss Jonathan Adelman said: “It certainly wasn’t one for the purest. The pitch was awful, bobbly and with divots more akin to a driving range.”
Lee Fegan kept a fifth consecutive clean sheet as Temple Fortune’s promotion
FOOTBALL JON Jacobs cranked up the mind games ahead of Redbridge Jewish Care A’s Cyril Anekstein Cup showdown against Maccabi London Lions – claiming they will use their “Saturday boys” to beat them.
The east Londoners lifted the League Cup in 2011 and they booked a return trip to Wingate & Finchley following a convincing semi-final victory over Finchley City.
Daniel Garfinkle, Ben Sollosi (2) and Russell Goldstein (2) completed the 5-0 rout.