Published: 7 May 2018
Last updated: 4 March 2024
And the truth is, he was right: For a few hours on Friday afternoon, the Giro D’Italia transported us to a completely different place. Among the crowd of spectators perched along Friday’s race course, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Europe, surrounded by cheering hoards of people complete with the cowbells that accompany major races.
The first three stages of the 21-day race are being held in Israel, after which the race will return to Italy and finish in Rome. A total of 176 cyclists from 22 teams — including an Israeli delegation for the first time — were taking part in the time trials which began just outside Jerusalem’s Old City. The 9.7-kilometre route took riders near some of Jerusalem’s holiest sites, though organizers were careful to avoid any politically sensitive areas.
FULL STORY With spotlight on cycling, Giro d’Italia provides much-needed break from reality (Times of Israel)
Photo: Hundreds of fans cheer the bicycle riders of the 101st Giro D'Italia as they begin the race in Jerusalem on May 4, 2018. (Yonatan SIndel/Flash90)
