JFN member Sylvan Adams has been named Honorary President of the 2018 Giro d'Italia (a cycling race second only to the Tour de France), and he has brought the event's opening stages to Israel!

The race normally ends in Milan, but the finish has been moved, exceptionally, to symbolically travel the road from Jerusalem to Rome, exhibiting friendship between Italy and Israel, and between Judaism and Christianity.

"The Giro is the fourth most watched event in the world," Sylvan says, "Following the Olympic Games, the World Cup, and the Tour de France. Last year 840 million television spectators watched the Giro (by way of reference, 'only' 114 million people watched the Super Bowl); with the historic Big Start in Israel, I am hoping we will exceed one billion TV viewers, in addition to tens of thousands of live spectators, who will travel to watch the race. My objective is to show the 'normal' Israel that I experience daily, a diverse, pluralistic country, where the citizens, of all nationalities and religions, actually get along, and enjoy full and equal rights."

Mazal tov to Sylvan on this tremendous honor and achievement!

Learn more by watching the video above, or at the Giro d'Italia website.