Israel in contention to host Tour

CYCLING TALKS are under way to host the opening stages of the Tour de France in Israel, while another of the cycle race Big Tours — the Giro D’Italia — will return to Israel.

Daniel Benaim, CEO of Comtecgroup, the Israeli big events organisers, which helped stage the Giro last year, told a Tel Aviv conference: “The Giro D’Italia will return to Israel in 2022 and we are in advanced negotiations with the Tour de France.”

He added: “The contribution to Israel of large events like the Giro and Eurovision is in making Israel a brand that people like and feel motivated to come back to.”

Benaim said that Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams had donated €28 million to bring the Giro D’Italia to Israel last year. Branded as the “Big Start”, the world’s top cyclists spent the first three days of one of the world’s three biggest cycling races, competing in Israel last May.

Senior business development executives from the Tour de France were in Israel to witness the organisation of the event and were reportedly impressed.

The Israel Cycling Academy is again competing in this year’s Giro D’Italia, currently taking place in Italy.