With #VisitIsrael and Hammerhead, Israel Start-Up Nation shares the favorite loops of all Israeli riders in our two teams.

In volume 9 we feature Rotem Tene. “This route kept me on the bike and I am still doing it on regular basis now that I race for Israel Cycling Academy.”

For a while, Rotem Tene did not like riding his bike. The pandemic and its lockdowns did not strengthen Tene’s appreciation for the sport he used to love, and the lack of racing last year made it worse. “At some point, I just did not want to ride anymore, but this particular route got me back in love with cycling again.”

Early in 2020, Tene prepared himself for his first year in the under-23 category in Israel. He had a few good results in the junior category and was motivated to prove himself one category higher as well.

“I put so much effort in cycling and then, suddenly, everything felt like it was for nothing. There were no teams interested in me, no races to show myself, and the lockdowns in Israel did not allow us to go out riding,” Tene says.

“I am an ambitious guy, but back then I did not see any road to keep going forward [on] as a road cyclist. I had difficulties motivating myself.”

With a friend, he fell in love with his bike again, and it was this route that made the difference. “We kept on having so much fun together on this route. It is diverse, so we could challenge each other. The downhills are fun, the scenery is nice, and on this route, there is the best coffee in the area, making the climbing much more tempting.”

“This route kept me on the bike and I am still doing it on regular basis now that I race for Israel Cycling Academy.”

To download Tene’s favorite route/GPX-file, click here.

Tene’s favorite segment, click here.

#Hammerhead #VisitIsrael #RideForMore