Photo: IC

Israel launched its first Tour de France team Wednesday, the latest sporting initiative funded by a Canadian-Israeli billionaire who sees it as a potential bridge to the Arab world.

The team, called Israel Start-Up ­Nation, will be the first from the Jewish state to compete in cycling's premier competition.

"We will have our Israel name at the Tour de France, being seen by 2.6 billion people - with our blue and white colors," Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams told AFP.

"I think it's quite symbolic."

The team will take the Tour de France slot of Swiss team Katusha-Alpecin, which has been taken over by the Israel Cycling Academy (ICA).

The move is heavily funded by Adams, who has spent millions in recent years organizing a number of sporting events in Israel, in what he says are philanthropic gestures to show off the "real Israel."

These have included the holding of the Giro d'Italia cycling race in Israel in 2018, as well as bringing Lionel Messi-led Argentina to play a friendly match in Tel Aviv last month.

Organizers say the Tour de France is the world's third most watched sporting event, after the Olympic Games and ­soccer World Cup.

The  Israel Cycling Academy was only formed in 2014.

Its riders are perhaps unlikely to compete for the Tour de France's coveted yellow jersey in their first outing, but Adams hailed the symbolism of their appearance.

Its riders come from 18 countries and Adams said at least one of the eight ­selected to race in the Tour would be ­Israeli.

"I hope we will see an Israeli complete the Tour de France, which will be an historic event."

Cycling is still relatively new in Israel, though it hosts a velodrome - the first in the Middle East.

Guy Niv, an Israeli member of the team, said appearing in the Tour was a "childhood dream."