From Gaza Tunnels to the Tour de France: Freed Hostage Ofer Calderon Rides for Israel | WATCH

Ofer Calderon, a 54-year-old French-Israeli and former Hamas hostage, fulfilled a remarkable promise by joining Israel-Premier Tech’s cycling team as a special guest during the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris. Overwhelmed by the vibrant crowds along the Champs-Élysées, Calderon shared his disbelief: “I’m still in shock from this moment. 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.” His journey to this moment began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Kibbutz Nir Oz, abducting him and his children, Sahar, 16, and Erez, 12. While his children were freed in a November 2023 ceasefire, Calderon endured 484 days in captivity, mostly in Gaza’s tunnels, with only three hours above ground.

The promise to ride in the Tour de France was born on January 15, 2024, when team owner Sylvan Adams organized a solidarity ride at Tel Aviv’s Sylvan Adams National Velodrome, where 136 cyclists, including Erez, rode to honour the hostages still held. Adams vowed that day, “When Ofer is freed, we will ride with him at the Tour de France.”

On Sunday, he embraced Calderon, saying, “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.” Yet, Calderon’s joy was bittersweet: “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. Nothing will be complete until they’re all back home. It’s time to end this story and bring everyone back.”

Israel-Premier Tech, in its sixth Tour de France, dedicated the race to the 50 remaining hostages, displaying their names and faces on team vehicles. Calderon’s ride followed his February 1, 2025, release in a Qatar-mediated deal that freed 18 hostages, including Yarden Bibas and Keith Siegel. However, ceasefire talks faltered last week when the U.S. withdrew negotiators, citing Hamas’s bad faith. Israeli intelligence estimates 27 of the remaining hostages may be dead. Posts on X celebrated Calderon’s ride, with one user writing, “From Gaza tunnels to the Champs-Élysées, Ofer’s victory is incredible!”