January 11, 2019 (Tel Aviv, Israel) – Check out these great photos as the Israel Cycling Academy (ICA) is at their first training camp in Israel, Jan. 7-12 with Canadian Alex Cataford on board. The Pro Continental team boasts one of the largest rosters and also at the camp is team co-owner, Sylvan Adams, who hails from Montreal but now lives in Israel, and team founder Ron Baron. The kick-off welcome was held at Adams’ beachfront penthouse in Tel Aviv here.

The first day in the saddle began with a bus ride from the Herod Hotel in Tel Aviv to Be’eri including a stop at the “Black Arrow” historic memorial site near the Gaza Strip commemorating the Israeli paratroopers and soldiers killed during retaliatory operations between 1953 and 1956. The 120km route started at one of the oldest bike shops in Israel and followed a 3.5-hour loop before heading to the Mash’abei Sedah kibbutz where we stayed for two nights.

 

The next day featured around 210km of training with some stiff climbs and included some of the route from the 2018 Giro d’Italia start. The scenic journey featured the Negev Desert, Big Crater and the Dead Sea along with Conor Dunne in his Irish champ kit… 7+ hours in the saddle.

On Day 4 of the camp the riders took on 180 km for 6+ hours in the saddle from Mash’abei Sedah Kibbutz to Jerusalem. The day ended with a visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, including the Wall of the Righteous which bears the names of over 3,900 people and where Italy’s Gino Bartali was added in 2013 for saving hundreds of Jews during World War II – our guide was artist and women’s rights advocate, Miriam Sharon.

More photos and interviews with Alex Cataford and Sylvan Adams to follow…