This past week Beit Shemesh - Yehuda Plains hosted a two-day bike festival which consisted of two days of exciting cycling action. The first day was the on-road Tour de Beit Shemesh II biking competition, which took place in Beit Shemesh on Thursday, October 11. Approximately 70 competitive riders from all over the country came to compete in the races. After the competitive race, a popular ride took place which attracted local kids. A special highlight of this year's event was that it was attended by hundreds of kids from the Uzziel, Levine, Branco Weiss and Orot Banot Schools who came to watch the race from the side of the road and cheer on the riders. 
 
Representatives of the Beit Shemesh municipality and Partnership 2000 were on hand to help out with the race and give out medals to the competition winners including Deputy Mayor Shalom Lerner, the city spokesman Yehuda Gur Arieh, Assistant to the Mayor Eli Vanunu and David Sitbon Assistant to the CEO of the city.

The event was organized by the Samson Riders, and the Beit Shemesh - Yehuda - Yoav Bike Forum, founded with the support of Partnership 2000 Beit Shemesh-Yehuda Plains-Washington-South Africa 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 Triester served as the volunteer coordinator of this year's Tour-de-Beit Shemesh and worked together with Doron Amitz, professional race organizer to pull of this challenging event.

"It was a real festival." Notes Triester, "The atmosphere was tremendous and the waves created by both events will be felt for months to come. We hope to give a concrete (!) expression to this by the building of a biking running and walking path around Beit Shemesh funded by the JNF, the city and local fundraising and sponsorship.
I witnessed 70 Branco teenagers being teenagers, before they saw the road bikers and the transformation from bored teenagers to exited amazed and enthusiastic spectators the second the competitive bikers passed by was really a heart warming scene!"
  
Says Yossi Menora, age 11, "I had a lot of fun biking the course of the Tour de Beit Shemesh - it was challenging. It was also a thrill to win the bike donated by Bike Ben. I plan on coming to more biking events in the future".

The second day of the Bike Festival was the Yehuda Hills Cross Country Marathon III and was held in Ya'ar Kedoshim. This event, attracted hundreds of off-road riders of all ages who rode a challenging 23 km route - 3 times around. There was also a popular ride on the same 23 km route. A special congratulations to Beit Shemesh teen cyclists: Daniel Green (16) , Tsachi Ganot (15),  Eitan Posner (13) and Shlomo Levenstein (12) for completing the course. Says Tsachi Ganot, "The ride was extremely fun and very challenging. It helped me train for the upcoming week long Alyn Wheel's of Love ride which will take place in two weeks".

The organizers would like to thank the many volunteers who helped out at the race and the public for their patience in dealing with the road closures. Anyone watching or participating in these events could truly be proud of Beit Shemesh cyclists and the terrific volunteers who dedicate their time to making our city the center of Biking Tourism in Israel. We also would like to give a big thanks to our other sponsors Solel, TDM Campbell, Bike Ben, Atliz Hazan, Irgun Lamitnadev, Pioneer, Meuhadet, Iskoot, Mekorot Shlita, Nesher and Goldman Investments.