The images of the Vuelta and pro-Palestinian protesters are still vivid, and since sports unite rather than divide, the State of Israel is thinking about hosting a Tour de France start on its roads. After hosting the Giro d'Italia start in 2018, Israel hopes to do the same with the world's most famous race.
This hypothetical dream was expressed by Dafna Lang, president of the Israeli Cycling Federation. The idea is gaining significant momentum in Lang's mind and is supported by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams. Adams was one of the founders and owners of the Israel-Premier Tech team and is the one who, after the protests at the last Vuelta de España, decided to take a step back and remove Israel's name from his team.
Adams has always believed that cycling could be a bridge to bring peace to the world, and for this reason his team has always been composed of riders from different countries and with different religions. In 2018, it was Sylvan Adams who partially financed the Giro's grand start from Israel, and today his desire is to see the Grande Boucle start from Israel. "I can't tell you now that we'll bid to host the Tour de France or organize it, but we never stop dreaming" – Lang explained -. "I can't speak on behalf of Sylvan Adams, but I believe that once we achieve stable peace, we'll realize many high-level projects, welcoming the world. We are very optimistic people; we've already brought the Giro d'Italia here. Anything is possible".
Thanks to Adams' decisive impulse, the Giro was the first Grand Tour to start outside of Europe, with three stages on the roads of the Jewish State, including an opening time trial in Jerusalem. Now, starting from afar, work begins on the hypothesis of hosting the Tour's Grand Depart.
In reality, President Lang said she hasn't yet discussed this with UCI President David Lappartient. In April 2024, in an interview with the newspaper La Voix sépharde, Adams had explained that he was in negotiations with Tour de France organizers, so they would follow the Giro's example, and that the legendary race could start from Israel in the very near future. The managers of Amaury Sport Organisation were contacted, but they preferred not to comment.
A future Israeli candidacy to host the Tour de France Grand Départ might exist, but it will necessarily depend on the lasting success of the ceasefire agreement signed on October 9th between Israel and Hamas, a prerequisite for implementing the various phases of the American peace plan.
