According to the official statement of the 2018 Giro d’Italia, the next year’s grand tour will start in Israel. This is the first time that one of the three Grand Tours will take place outside the Europe.
The Israeli sports minister and many local organizers have also confirmed the start of Giro d’Italia in Jerusalem. According to race organizers, Israel will host three stages in total including the opening stage. The exact route and other details about these stages will become public next week.
Giro d’Italia will send more than 175 of the world’s best riders to Israel for the start of one of the biggest, most important cycling tours in the world. In total, Giro d’Italia has started outside Italy on 11 occasions. Some of the previous locations to hold the start of this grand tour include Athens, Monte Carlo, Belfast but never outside Europe.
The biggest sporting event
This event is considered to be the biggest sporting event ever held in Israel. It will welcome thousands of fans, visitors and tourists that will come to witness the start of this golden tour.
“This is a hugely exciting moment for cycling and for Israel,” Daniel Benaim, the chief executive and owner of Comtec Group, the Giro’s Israeli production company, said. “An event of this magnitude is something that the country will always remember.”
Currently, as we speak, a well-organized delegation representing Giro d’Italia is already in Israel. They are finalizing the last details and the specific locations for the opening stages.
According to the official website of Giro, it is reported that the Israeli government has decided to give its own contribution on running costs. The government will be also responsible for the security aspect of the tour. Many believe it will be the biggest security operation ever registered in Israel’s history.
