Nadav Riesberg capped a remarkable six days on Saturday by winning the Israeli cycling championship in Beit Guvrin, adding a national title to the sprint jersey he had just claimed in the Dauphiné, now known as the Tour de l'Ain. The NSN rider said the blue and white champion’s jersey would be his identity in races around the world for the next year, adding, “I will be more proud than anyone.”
The men’s race covered 135 kilometers in the Judean Lowlands. Before the start, Riesberg said he would have preferred a more open race, even though he and three teammates, Itamar Einhorn, Oded Kogut and outgoing champion Rotem Tena, were the clear favorites. “I prefer to win a title with a lot of sweat and effort,” he said.
That is exactly how it unfolded. Riesberg and his close friend Kogut attacked on the first lap and gradually built a lead that grew to three minutes. More than one lap from the finish, Kogut tried to break away again and briefly opened a gap of more than 20 seconds, but Riesberg caught him before the final climb and finished alone. Kogut was second and Tena took third, completing an NSN sweep of the podium.
In the women’s race, Noa Shweiki won the Israeli championship. NSN also collected the under-23 men’s title, with Matar Peretz winning that category for the second straight year. NSN sports director Aviad Yizrael said, “There is no doubt the title was deserved. He had an amazing week.”
