Photos: Yissachar Ruas
Attracts riders from the north as well as local community
A Partnership 2000 Sponsored Event
The first annual Tour de Beit Shemesh biking competition, which took place in Beit Shemesh on Friday, July 21, was a huge success. Approximately 120 professional riders from all over the country came to compete in the races, including a group of young riders from Misgav in the North who were being hosted on Moshav Nocham for a week. Riders who arrived from Haifa, Tsfat and other places in the North were given free entrance to the race. For many of the racers, it was their first visit to Beit Shemesh. The overall response was very positive.
The winners of the elite race were Tsachi Boigen (men's) from Holon and Bonnie Eshel (women's). The Partnership 2000 sister communities of Washington DC and South Africa were also represented at the race by two racers, Henry Rozenbaum of Baltimore and Steven Blend of Johannesburg. David Hersh, member of the Partnership 2000 Steering Committee - who runs the popular radio show in South Africa, was also present at the race. For these riders, watching Beit Shemesh come alive with a community event that emphasized fitness, family activity, and cooperation between numerous players was a fulfillment of their commitment to supporting our region.
After the competitive races, 150 local children and adults rode the course. Helmets were provided free of charge for over 20 children from underprivileged families.
Many representatives of the Beit Shemesh municipality were on hand to help out with the race and give out medals to the competition winners including Mayor Daniel Vaknin and Deputy Mayor Shalom Lerner who helped out tremendously garnering support for the event. Ilan Geal Dor and Mickey Blumberg represented Partnership 2000.
The race was organized by the Sampson Riders, a non-profit biking organization based in Beit Shemesh - Mateh Yehuda and the Forum for the Development of Biking Tourism and Infrastructure, founded with the support of Partnership 2000 of the Jewish Agency. Much support was received from the municipality of Beit Shemesh as well as the local businesses who sponsored the event. Yitzhak Treister a Beit Shemesh resident and leisure rider coordinated the planning of the event at the local level, and Doron Amitz, a racer on Israel's competitive teams led the planning of the competitive event. Doron, who has run such races all over the country, related that he has never had better cooperation between so many bodies before in preparation for a race.
Otto Friedman, chairman of the Biking Forum says, "It was a thrilling experience to watch the professional racers from all over the country who came to Beit Shemesh to participate in our first ever biking competition. Now our city is finally on the map as a destination for serious cyclists".
Renee Halpert, representative of women cyclists on the Biking Forum, mixed with the crowd of riders to find out more about them and she relates, "The riders from out of town were impressed with the hospitality of the locals and the beauty of the city. Some of them had never been to Beit Shemesh, but they now hope to come back and ride here in the future. On a weekly basis, hundreds of on-road and off-road riders circumvent Beit Shemesh without every taking a closer look. Now we've been noticed."
Seven members of the Yaffa family participated in the community race which followed the professional competitions. Says Beit Shemesh mom Dina Yaffa, "My children had a great time at the Tour de Beit Shemesh. It was a great sporting activity for them to do as a family - they especially enjoyed receiving the medals at the end of the race and are already training for next year's event!"
The next event organized by the Biking Forum is the Cross-Yehuda Mountain Biking Race which will take place in the Nocham Forest on Friday, October 13, during Chol HaMoed Succot.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HOST RIDERS FROM WASHINGTON DC AND SOUTH AFRICA. If you are interested in coming to the event please contact Brenda Ganot at Parntership 2000 : brendag@jafi.org.