Shani Bloch was “very calm” as she prepared to leave for Rio from her home in Scotland to become Israel’s first Olympic cyclist.

She completed her preparations with a solid performance at the seven-stage elite “Internationale Thuringen Rundfahrt der Frauen” event in Gotha- Gera in Germany, where she lined up against several Olympic rivals.

"My preparations are complete,” said Bloch who will rest with the family before flying to Brazil. “I’m confident we’ll have lots of success in Rio.

"This race was one of the hardest I’ve done. It had everything — I raced good and hard, and tried hard to listen to my body. When you’re a cyclist, you’re fully aware that it’s about the journey and not just the destination."

Bloch, a 37-year-old mother of three, retired from the sport in 2004. She returned to action 10 years later and now forms part of Israel’s first Olympic cycling representation in over 50 years. “Shani,” her friends say, “You are a role model to female athletes, a role model to those who shouldn’t give up on their dreams and a role model to those who are told they are too young or too old."

Meanwhile, Omer Goldstein, 20, aquitted himself well in the five-day Giro Ciclistico della Valle d’Aosta Mont Blanc in Italy.

The team’s latest recruit joined three other Israelis and one Slovakian in the Academy Team to turn in a creditable time in the opening team time trial stage.

Riding against some of the top teams in the men’s under-23 category, they placed 14th of the 26 teams despite a lack of team time trials and training experience.