At the finish line on the Champs-Élysées – after completing 3,414km and climbing an altitude equal to six Mount Everests – Goldstein noted, “It was the hardest and most enjoyable race of my life. What do I want now? Rest!”
Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov and the team management met the riders to congratulate them at the finish line.
During Sunday’s final stage, in a last-ditch effort to achieve a coveted victory the team did everything to help André Greipel achieve a prestigious win on the Champs-Élysées, helping him get to the front, with Goldstein doing a great job of supporting Greipel towards the end. Greipel managed to finish fifth in the final stretch.
Goldstein became the second Israeli ever to finish the Tour de France. The Israeli professional team is in its second year in the top tier of world’s cycling, and is one of the 19 teams belonging to the “World Tour” rank.
At the finish line, the team’s owners Sylvan Adams and Roni Bar-On as well as other Israelis, heads of the Jewish community and representatives of “Start-Up Nation Central” congratulated the riders.
“ISN’s second Tour represented another building block in the team’s growth,” exclaimed Adams. “For the first time, we were on the podium, with Mike Woods earning the iconic polka dot climber’s jersey. We also had our share of bad luck, with terrible crashes destroying our General Classification hopes on the first day. But the team held strong, and was cheered all along the roads of France, with shouts of Israel, Israel, allez! Also, allez Start-up Nation in recognition of the Team moniker and allez Froome, in respect of our great four-time Tour winner. We have put the ‘Start-up Nation’ on the world map. And a special mention of our Israeli Omer Goldstein for racing like a consummate pro, jumping into breakaways and working for his teammates in his first Tour de France.”
The Ministry of Tourism has also been an important partner of the team in recent years.
“We are so proud to see an Israeli team carry the Israeli flag at one of the largest sporting events in the world,” said Razvozov. “Events of this kind are the biggest generators of tourism in the world, so it was important for me to come and learn about what is needed, and how it will be possible to bring major international sporting events to Israel on the day the skies open.”
Start-Up Nation Central was the main sponsor of ISN and the organization’s acting CEO, Chico Menashe, also shared his words of respect.
“Start-Up Nation Central couldn’t be prouder of the team that completed three stages with finishes in the Top 5 and an overall solid showing, overcoming early setbacks caused by a massive rider pile-up in the first days of the competition,” said Menash. “The team, which carries our name and logo on its back, has brought us immense pride. Our partner, Sylvan Adams, is helping place Israel and Israeli innovation firmly on the map and we have great faith that the team will continue to grow and succeed in international competitions.”
It was, without a doubt, a difficult Tour for ISN – a race that began with an endless series of crashes from the get-go that hit the Israeli team hard when no less than seven of its eight riders in the lineup were injured.
But it bounced back, and Woods’s record achievement of winning the best climber shirt in the 14th stage of the Tour was particularly notable.
“We wanted to achieve more, there is no doubt about that,” said team manager, Finnish Kjell Carlstrom. “But I’m proud that even though the crash disrupted our plans, we were able to recover and get back in the game to fight for victories and of course for the best climber’s shirt.”