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40 Israelis join cyclists pretending to be Lance Armstrong for a week
By Aviad Segal
Tags: sports, cycling 

Be it Antalya, New York, Thailand or most of Europe, everyone's summer vacation looks more or less the same. You make sure to get up on time, so as not to miss the complementary breakfast. You march off to the pool or to the beach, revert to overeating and pick up some souvenirs for the kids. You get a little culture at best and a little more food at worst. Plus, the week always ends oddly, with the suitcase being way more full than the day you arrived. However, for some 40 Israelis, this summer break will be completely different - they will cycle 880 kilometers through the central European Alps.

The seventh annual race, which commenced Sunday, is divided into seven daily stages, during which participants must cycle along a route taking them from the German climatic spa town of Sonthofen in Allgau through the Austrian Alps into Arco in Italy, close to Lake Garda. The demanding route involves 18 alpine passes and more than 18,300 meters altitude differential and will host some 1,200 cycling fanatics.

Until this year, few Israelis took the challenge. Harel Nahmani, 45, participated last year and updated his daily progress on his blog. "Toward the end of the climb we reached a point where you could see riders on four different levels simultaneously, like a long snake," wrote Nahmani, the president of a solar power station construction company, near the end of the race. "During the ride we entered several long, dark tunnels. I kept some distance and prayed that there would not be any obstacle on the road. I emerged from the tunnel and approached a valley full of villages. The Alps were behind us. We crossed them from south to north for six days. Now, all that is left is to roll down to the sea."
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As his reports spread, rumors about the breathtaking views and the craving for an adrenaline rush or extreme sports challenge convinced 25 additional thrill-seekers to join Nahmani this year. "The blog prompted many to join," says Nahmani. "I believe this race suits any amateur who bikes on weekends, as long as he prepares properly."

Ahead of the race, Nahmani organized the riders and got hold of several vehicles to accompany them as well as a sports psychologist for six training camps. The main goal was to simulate the alpine race's climbs and descents. The last pre-race camp, lasting five days, was held in mid-May in the Galil and the Golan.

While the race is for amateurs, there is a cash prize for the top three teams. If a team does not collect its prize, the money is donated to charity.

At least finish

Boaz Arad, who is not a member of Nahmani's "Time Israel" group but will participate in the race together with his friend Arnon Boneh, spent every weekend over the past six months climbing altitude differentials of 2,500 meters along a 20-kilometer stretch. "Last Shabbat I rode from Tel Aviv to Haifa along ascents I felt were easy, as if I were driving a car," he says. "We basically trained in the hills of Jerusalem. But we also went up and down the Gilboa, as well as Tavor and Mitzpe Ramon. We didn't miss one ascent, and along the way we got to know every inch of the country."

Most Israeli competitors just want to enjoy themselves, without getting injured or damaging their equipment, and - above all - to finish. Uri Geiger, 41, has a long history of risk-taking - whether with regard to ski, surfing, motorcycling or other extreme sports competitions. He was hoping to finish near the top and to wave at the finish line, a la Tour de France, because, "If you're going to do something, do it right."

Then came the final training session last week. "We headed from Givat Ada toward Beit Oren," he recalls. "On the ascent our pulse shot up to over 170. I built up speed, going almost 70 kph, and everything looked great. Later it turned out I was going too fast. The curve became sharper, and thoughts of crashing didn't help. After a few seconds I started to skid toward the verge, on which I crashed at high speed. I kept with the bike until I hit a pole on the traffic island."

Geiger spent the next several days in the plastic surgery wards of several hospitals in the center of the country. All the doctors made the same, unequivocal recommendation. "Even after everyone told me not to go, I've just become more determined to finish the race," he says. "At the very least to finish."
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