“Dream big and work hard,” Never Say Never (NSN) cycling team rider Nadav Raisberg, who secured the points classification jersey at the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes earlier this month, told JNS on Saturday.
“Riding in this huge race, chasing the green jersey that legends have won in the past on the Alps, was the most beautiful and the toughest challenge of my life,” he added.
(The green jersey is an award in stage cycling races, given to the rider who accumulates the most points—typically earned through finishing positions in each stage and intermediate sprint checkpoints.)
Widely regarded as the premier tune-up event, along with the Tour de Suisse, ahead of the Tour de France, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is an eight-day race in southeastern France featuring a demanding mix of hilly terrain and mountain-top finishes. Until this year, it was known for 77 years as the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Raisberg, 25, from Kibbutz Dafna in the Galilee Panhandle, was introduced to cycling as a young boy, following in his father’s footsteps and riding throughout northern Israel, including the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon region. His father, Boris Raisberg, was the Israeli national road race champion in 1987.
He began competing in professional European and international races four years ago.
Last week, he secured his first Israeli national road race championship title, winning the 135-kilometer (84-mile) race through the low hills between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, an achievement that will allow him to represent Israel internationally over the next year.
“Israel is my home. I raced the biggest races in the world as a cyclist. This race is one of the most important because it will allow me to go with the Israeli national jersey all over the world. I feel like when I have the jersey on, I represent my country,” he said.
Every rider who wins a national championship earns the privilege of competing in their country’s jersey for an entire year, a distinction Raisberg will hold until June 2027.
Discussing his victory at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Raisberg explained that one of the race’s biggest challenges is that it also serves as a key selection event for Tour de France rosters.
“Everyone wants to be the best and get to this race in the best shape possible before the Tour. This is what is most challenging. I think I am now on the long list for the Tour. I will know soon, hopefully,” he said.
If selected, it would mark Raisberg’s first appearance in the Tour de France, which this year begins on July 4.
Wearing an Israel jersey
Although wearing an Israel jersey can attract criticism amid the surge in antisemitism worldwide since Oct. 7, 2023, Raisberg said he intends to wear it proudly wherever possible.
During last year’s Vuelta a España, which he rode with Israel-Premier Tech, Raisberg and his teammates were harassed by pro-Palestinian protesters, an incident that contributed to the team’s rebranding as NSN in 2025.
“Rotem Tene was last year’s national champion, and he rode with the jersey. He never had a difficult time doing so. It is getting a bit easier now. It’s always on my mind. I hope in the big races it will be secure. If in some places I have to ride without it, I will, but I’m very proud to have this jersey and wear it,” Raisberg said.
Being based in northern Israel can present challenges for a professional cyclist, Raisberg said, noting that living in a region frequently targeted by Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah means there are periods when he is unable to train because he must remain close to bomb shelters.
“When quiet, it’s such a beautiful place to ride,” he said.
Founded through a collaboration between global sports and events company NSN (Never Say Never), former Spanish professional soccer player Andrés Iniesta and Swiss investment firm Stoneweg, the team competes under a Swiss flag and is based in Spain.
As a UCI WorldTour team, it races approximately 250 days a year across more than 20 countries.
NSN sport director Dror Pekatch told JNS that Raisberg’s recent success is the result of several factors coming together. While his development curve was gradual, it was consistently moving in the right direction.
“Although Nadav often came second or third in races, in terms of motivation, he always wanted more. It’s a combination of the mental side and the physical. He is always positive. It is something unique. He is always smiling, relaxed and really positive with everybody. You don’t get that with cyclists all the time,” said Pekatch.
Many people assume riders train for a specific race, he continued, but reaching the highest level of the sport is the product of years of development.
“He was growing inside our system between different race programs. I think he just came to the stage when he was ready. He grew during the years, and then it all came together,” added Pekatch.
