By Brian Blum - February 26, 2020
In a sign of warming ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Israel’s only professional cycling team will compete in the UAE Tour, becoming the first Israeli team to participate in the Middle East’s top cycling race.
The Israel Start-Up Nationteam arrived in Dubai this week in preparation for the race, which begins on Sunday.
The bridge-building began almost immediately when the Israeli team entered the Al Qudra Cycling Park for training. After some initial shock expressed by other cyclists upon seeing the team logo, some waved and even asked for selfies, said 23-year-old Israeli rider Omer Goldstein.
“Until recently, it would have seemed like an unrealistic dream,” Goldstein said. “This is the victory of sports and being here is proof of that.”
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