Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) on Sunday was honored to welcome Ofer Calderon, an Israeli cycling enthusiast who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 484 days, as their special guest of the team at the final stage of the 2025 Tour de France the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Calderon, a longtime cycling enthusiast, was abducted with his family by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His son Erez, also taken hostage, was released during the first hostage deal in November 2023. On the 100th day of their captivity, IPT team owner and philanthropist Sylvan Adams led a global cycling event in their honor, riding alongside Erez at the Israeli national velodrome in Tel Aviv.
Solidarity rides took place in dozens of cities worldwide, calling for the release of all hostages. At the time Adams promised that when Ofer would be released, he would ride alongside him at the Tour de France.
Ofer said: “I’m still in shock from this moment. It’s incredibly emotional, but I’m also torn — it’s hard knowing the hostages are still there and that soldiers are being killed. Let’s bring them home.”
Sylvan, who rode beside Ofer, added: “This is an incredible moment for Ofer and all of us — but this victory will not be complete until they all return home — now!”
It was an unimaginable image: Ofer Calderon, who only months ago emerged into the sunlight after 484 days in Hamas tunnels in Gaza (in which he only saw daylight for three hours), riding a bicycle up the Champs-Élysées in Paris toward the Arc de Triomphe — just hours before the peloton arrives at the finish line of the world’s greatest cycling race, the Tour de France.
Those witnessing the moment — the leaders of the Israeli cycling team Israel - Premier Tech, competing in the Tour for the sixth time — had tears in their eyes. Calderon’s presence fulfilled a promise made to him while he was still in captivity, and no one could ignore the dramatic contrast between darkness and light.
“I’m still in shock that I’m here on a bike at the Tour de France,” Ofer said. “I’ve never been to Paris, certainly not on a bicycle. Everything looks so big to me… so wide… so many people… everything is a lot. I’m so emotional to be here with the team. But I’m also torn: this joy can’t be complete because, alongside all these emotions, it’s very hard to deal with what’s happening to me and to all the people of Israel — that we still have hostages in Gaza, our soldiers are there, and some are being killed. So nothing will be complete until they’re all back home. It’s time to end this story and bring everyone back.”
For Israel - Premier Tech owner Sylvan Adams, team co-founder Ron Bar-On, and all the team members, this moment was the closure of a circle — though not fully — even with the breathtaking image of Ofer riding through the streets of Paris.
The promise to Ofer was made when the team organized a global Ride for the Hostages event, with tens of thousands of cycling fans around the world. The event at the Tel Aviv velodrome was led by Erez, Ofer’s son, who had been released from captivity while his father — a devoted cyclist — remained in the tunnels.
Sylvan explained: “We promised Erez and Ofer that he would join us at the Tour. And now it happened. It’s hard to believe. It’s so symbolic. It’s so special. Here he is beside us.”
Sylvan embraced Ofer again and again, saying, “You have no idea how emotional we all are to have fulfilled this promise. For us, this is a victory. But we have to say: without all the hostages coming home — it’s not a full victory. And that’s also why we brought Ofer to this enormous stage: to call for that from here.”
Ofer understood the significance of his arrival and gathered all his strength to face it. Those who saw him over the past few days riding in Paris, reaching the finish line at the team’s special VIP area while waiting for the riders to complete the race, could see how much mental strength he was drawing upon. Though he often appeared joyful, a heavy shadow clearly still lingered. At his side were his partner and his close friend Shai Reva from his cycling club, who explained the internal battle Ofer was still fighting.
Shai added: “Even months after being freed, Ofer is still struggling to stabilize the ground beneath his feet. He hasn’t completed his return to life. But he’s on the way, and arriving in Paris, riding here across the city, welcoming the team and riding through the Arc de Triomphe — that’s part of his return to solid ground. He’s a fire survivor. For me, seeing him here riding and smiling — that’s Ofer’s personal victory and a victory over evil.”
Then came the moment Ofer Calderon shook off the shadow. While riding, he picked up speed and raised his arm into the air — that special, familiar feeling of freedom every cyclist knows.
Ofer shared: “I’m an optimistic person by nature. That didn’t change in the 484 days I spent in Gaza. In that sense, I remained the same Ofer. Hope is what kept me going there. I believed I’d get out. I believed I’d ride again. And here I am, with that unique feeling every cyclist knows. I held onto that there. I didn’t give up. And now I’m here.”
He also thanked team leaders Sylvan Adams and Ron Bar-On, “and all the people of Israel who stood behind me.”
The final stage of the Tour de France is now underway and will conclude in a few hours in Paris — with Ofer Calderon among those welcoming the Israeli team’s riders at the finish line.
Israel-Premier Tech is Israel’s first and only professional cycling team competing at the highest level of international sport. This marks the team’s sixth consecutive appearance at the Tour de France. The 2025 squad has delivered a bold and attacking campaign, with standout performances from veteran climber Michael Woods, powerful breakaways by Joe Blackmore and Krists Neilands, and strong sprint efforts from Pascal Ackermann and Jake Stewart.
“This team proudly wears Israel’s name on its jersey,” Adams added. “We have been embraced by the vast majority of fans lining the route, cheering us on and reminding us of the power of sport to build connection and shared humanity. While a small number of pro-Hamas and anti-Israel protesters have tried to disrupt the race, their presence has been isolated and insignificant. Their noise was drowned out by the warmth and welcome we have felt at every stage.”
IPT dedicated this year’s race to the hostages still held in Gaza, featuring their faces and names on team vehicles and using its global platform to raise awareness and call for their release.