Sylvan Adams He is a philanthropist, and wants to be remembered as such. The Jewish-Canadian owner of Premier Tech has decided to open the press conference on the eve of the Tour de France with his and the group’s new venture. Adams intends to put one shekel / dollar / euro on each sum raised by the group to build the “Dream Ground”, a crowdfunding project to build a magnificent training facility for young riders in Rwanda.
After the statement, the group collected about 85,000 euros and since the column began, the numbers are only growing, with donors being hundreds of bicycle fans from Israel and around the world, including many Jews. “I visited Rwanda and felt that they were our Jewish brothers and sisters, following the genocide that took place there,” Adams told dozens of journalists from around the world who came to Copenhagen. “For me it’s something personal. We provided riders with bicycles and equipment several years ago and we want to give these people a real chance. They deserve it. Why am I doing this? It’s part of our Jewish heritage. We have a 3,000 year heritage of world repair. That’s why we want To do good in this world is why we chose Rwanda. “
The next day I met Adams at a luxury hotel in central Copenhagen where he was staying. I tried to test his feelings about the team, which has started the season terribly and is in danger of relegation to the second division. Adams does not seem bothered by this, but understands that the team, the oldest in the 2022 column, must undergo changes. “We are always trying to get better and it is true that the sport is getting younger and younger. We need to give better performances, everyone is aware of that. Last year we finished in ninth place in the world rankings. At first we felt we needed experienced riders to make a mark. “To contribute to young people, such as Jacob Fogelsang, Daryl Impi and Chris Fromm, who we have not yet seen from what we expect and hope to see it in the column. But we already have plans to get 3 young riders out of the academy next season.”
Adams and his PremierTech team have been in the World Tour for three years. The team has fulfilled the Israeli dream and is represented by at least one Israeli rider in almost all major Grand Toures, including the Tour de France. And Adams shows no signs of declining motivation. On the contrary, it has a kind of constant optimism, even a little naive. “I can’t retire and I don’t want to,” Adams tells me. “I met my wife on the kibbutz and we fell in love. ? No. But in the last month we have been improving. Last year we brought a squad to a column made up mostly of sprinters and riders who went on the run. This season we brought the best squad we could have a column and we have expectations of winning one of the sections for the first time. I do not give up”.
The Wikipedia owner’s 63-year-old’s Wikipedia states that he is remembered as the one who brought the Giro d’Italia 2018 to Israel with his own money and with almost no government support. Since the appetite is great. The possibility of bringing the column to Israel is enchanting for Adams, who is in love with the French race, but explains the difficulties on the way to achieving the goal: “I turned to the column to see if the column could be hosted. The exposure to the Giro in Israel around the world was tremendous, and it was a huge success. Everyone saw that Israel could host a competition of this magnitude and saw the enthusiasm of the Israeli audience on the roads. “They don’t want to copy what they do at the Giro, that’s what I was told. What will happen in the future? I do not know, but I will continue to harass them on the subject.”
Since joining the Israeli group, Adams has gradually increased its budget and in the last three years it stands at about 20 million euros. A huge amount for a team in blue and white. He presents himself as an Israeli patriot and sports fan, although at this stage he does not think of investing in other industries in Israel. “In general, I do not like football. I know that many Israelis love football and God bless them, it is their right. We are the first team to play at the highest level. Premier League teams play in Israel, but not at the highest level. The highest level in basketball is the NBA. So even if Maccabi Tel Aviv wins the Euroleague, and I do not cancel it, I think it’s great, it does not participate at the highest level, and you can not win a game in the NBA. I am not interested in investing in other industries in Israel. My vision is more global It’s not a bicycle thing. I like bicycles, but I love Israel. I take Israel’s brand to many homes around the world through the group. You can hear the name Israel on a bicycle broadcast for hundreds of years. That’s what excites me. Bicycles are a tool to reach a lot of fans. I’m proud of that.
“People have offered me all kinds of offers, never anything official, about buying football teams. I am always advised to do so. But this is not the pitch where I want to play. I do not go to games in Israel because I am not interested. I would go to the Champions League games. Or the Champions League game in France, which we brought to Israel. It’s a global game and it interests me. We had a great game last year when Lil defeated PSG. This year Paris will return and we hope that Leo Messi, Ambape and Neymar will come. Messi has millions of Follow me on social media. This is something that interests me. I want to reach a huge audience in the world. This is a game in the top of European football. 400,000 people will watch the game on TV. If I get involved in football, it will be with a high profile team in the world. “And if I can promote Israel in the world, that’s what will do it for me.”
