The 2025 Winner Epic Israel cycling race, held in partnership with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), launched on Wednesday and runs through Saturday across the Carmel coast and the Nachsholim area.
Now celebrating its 10th edition, the country’s largest mountain bike race has grown into an international event that brings together hundreds of riders from Israel and abroad, including Paralympians, wounded IDF veterans, youth teams, and trailblazing women’s groups, for four days of top-level competition.
Race founder and producer Gal Tsachor, son of the late Giora Tsachor – a senior Mossad official and passionate cyclist – explained the thinking behind this year’s theme.
“In a period when you don’t know what to answer when someone asks you ‘How are you?,’ and most of the country walks around with a broken heart, it’s not simple. After the 2024 edition, which we called ‘Hope,’ and the war that followed, I felt it was forbidden to give up. That is why the 10th anniversary edition is called Never Give Up – a message I say to myself as the organizer of this race in Israel.”
The race has always been as much about community as competition
“I don’t see this as escapism,” Tsachor said. “It is determination and a desire to support the community, sport, and culture, and to preserve sanity. This was also Giora Tsachor’s legacy: determination and love of the land. If it weren’t a memorial event in his name, I would have given up long ago. The commemoration gives me strength; it’s a giant battery that lets me continue.”
From its first edition in 2014, Tsachor pushed to set the race at the highest professional standard, modeling it after Cape Epic, the “Tour de France of mountain biking.”
“We started as a national race, then became international, and climbed the ranking ladder – S3, S2, S1 – until HC, the highest level. We were one of only four races in the world at that level. When we got that ranking, I even experienced a small crisis: ‘What now?’ since there was nowhere else to climb. But we kept going,” Gal recalled.
Today, live broadcasts in Hebrew and English are a permanent part of the event, ensuring global visibility.
“We broadcast live in both languages, aiming to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s biggest competitions. It demands a high-level, professional product, and we meet those challenges.”
Yaron Ohayon, Head of Land Development at KKL-JNF, emphasized the race’s deeper impact.
“At KKL-JNF we believe that connecting people to the land is the foundation of a healthy, values-driven, and united society. Winner Epic Israel is the embodiment of our vision – combining outdoor activity, love of the land, promotion of sustainability, and strengthening of community bonds. By building cycling trails, caring for open spaces, and creating green areas, we are not just developing infrastructure – we are shaping environmental awareness, educating the next generation, and bringing hearts closer together.”
The four-day event challenges riders with varied terrain and breathtaking scenery. It opened Wednesday with a 45-kilometer ride along the Nachsholim coastline through single tracks and farmland in the Hanadiv Valley. Thursday’s stage covered 82 kilometers with 600 meters of climbing, including brand-new KKL-JNF trails in the Binyamina area. Friday features the “Queen Stage” – a grueling 100 kilometers with 1,500 meters of climbing across Zichron Ya’akov and the northern Carmel. The race concludes Saturday with a 65-kilometer route through the Carmel and protected nature reserves, with sections opened specially for the event.
Evenings bring together athletes and guests for community gatherings, medal presentations, and celebrations. Meir Berdugo, CEO of Winner, said the event represents more than sport.
“The Toto is proud to be a partner in Winner Epic Israel with KKL-JNF – an event that embodies the values we strive to promote. Our motto Never Give Up reflects our commitment to supporting sport and leisure as part of Israel’s recovery and renewal in 2025.”
Amir Prezenti, CEO of Trek Israel, echoed the sentiment.
“Trek Israel sees Winner Epic Israel as a high point both professionally and in community impact. From casual riders to elite athletes, we’ve invested in building communities and fostering cycling culture. We are proud to take part in this event and see ourselves as natural partners for years to come.”
For Gal Tsachor, the race has long since outgrown the boundaries of sport.
“In my eyes, it has been much more than just a race for a long time,” he said. “It is a life’s work, and proof of the power of sport to connect, to heal, and to drive us forward.”