Israel-Premier Tech, a pro cycling team based in Israel, came to Baltimore to compete in the Maryland Cycling Classic on Sept. 6 for the team’s first competition in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
The team saw mixed results from the seven riders it brought to the race, as four of them did not finish the 107.4-mile course. But the team did secure eighth, 16th and 31st-place finishes from Canadian rider Guillaume Boivin, American rider Riley Sheehan and Israeli rider Oded Kogut, respectively.
“It’s 8th place for Guillaume Boivin at @MarylandClassic. The Canadian refused to give up, fighting back after three punctures to be back at the front end of the race on a day that delivered everything, including torrential rain. Good job, G!” the team wrote in a post on X after the race.
It was the first time IPT had competed in the Maryland Cycling Classic since September 2023, when the team had five racers finish in the top 40, including a third-place finish for Hugo Houle.
The race was not held in 2024 due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier in the year. Outside of the race, the team received a warm welcome from the Baltimore Jewish community.
Gary Bauman, a rider from Team Baltimore Bike4Chai, a project of Chai Lifeline, explained that IPT was coming off a tough year, as protests had continually disrupted several of the team’s performances.
During La Vuelta a España, a multistage road cycling race held from Aug. 23 to Sept. 14, IPT has had repeated disruptions from protesters.
According to NBC News, during the team’s time trial, protesters briefly blocked its riders with a large sign. And during a race on Sept. 3, organizers had to cancel the end of the race around six miles before the finish line due to protesters jumping into the road, while others attempted to push through barricades along the route.
On Sept. 6, the team announced that it would remove its name from its uniforms during the La Vuelta out of concern for the safety of riders.
Given all the trouble the team has faced, Bauman and the other riders with Team Baltimore decided that, when IPT came to Baltimore, they would organize a few events to show the team that the Baltimore Jewish community had their backs.
The first event was a meet-and-greet during the evening of Sept. 6. But the real surprise for the team came the next day, when around 250 students from Ohr Chadash Academy came out during the morning with Israeli flags and cheered the team on. IPT riders got to give high fives, sign autographs and take photos with the kids before a training session.
The team, alongside riders from Team Baltimore, rode into a circle of students and lapped the perimeter to screaming cheers and applause from the kids as they gave high fives. IPT team founder Ron Baron spoke to the gathered crowd of students and staff before the team departed.
“We are open to all: Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone. This is what we represent. We represent sportsmanship and peace, and we try to bring this message to the world with our wonderful riders,” Baron said.
The crowd gathered to sing Hatikvah and Acheinu as they sent the riders off on their practice ride, which was conducted alongside Team Baltimore riders for a short distance before IPT split off.
“Thank you to the Jewish community of Baltimore for the lovely welcome,” Baron said. “[IPT is] the first-ever Israeli team to compete in the Tour de France. You have the team to be proud of, you have the team of the Jewish people, the team of Israel, a team that is winning and is one of the best teams in the world.”
During the race, the team was greeted with supporters waving Israeli flags along the route. The multiday experience was especially impactful for Kogut, the sole Israeli in the race delegation.
“It was so much fun to come here and feel the amazing welcome from the community on Friday, and then to see all the blue-and-white flags today. I was super-motivated and felt great until midrace. I wish I could have given everyone even more — we wanted to win. I hope to come back and get another chance. Shalom!” Kogut said via an IPT post on Facebook.
