Two of Israel Premier-Tech’s sponsors have urged the cycling team to change its name as opposition mounts to the squad’s presence within the sport.
Earlier this week bike sponsor Factor said that it could not continue its relationship with the team while it still included ‘Israel’ in the name.
Now the pressure has heightened with title sponsor Premier-Tech, a Quebec-based company, adding its voice to the chorus. Radio Canada reported it saying: “The current situation with the team name is no longer sustainable.”
The team is owned by Sylvan Adams, an Canadian-Israeli billionaire who has been a fervent supporter of Israel and has invested significant amounts of money into promoting the country.
The entrepreneur was a major force behind Israel hosting the start of the 2018 Giro d’Italia and and bills the team as a promotional vehicle for the nation – although the vast majority of its riders are foreign nationals. The team is registered in Israel but is not a state-owned or state-supported enterprise in the manner of teams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
The team was the target of sweeping pro-Palestine demonstrations during this month’s Vuelta a Espana, with the Israel Premier-Tech riders briefly brought to a halt by protestors blocking the road during the team time trial on stage five.
Protests continued throughout the race, resulting in stage 11’s finish in Bilbao being cancelled, as well as other stages being shortened. IPT removed ‘Israel’ from their jerseys partway through the race, although the team’s official name remained unchanged.
Huge crowds overturned barriers and clashed with police during final stage into Madrid, with the race organisers making the decision to cancel the remainder of the stage and subsequent podium ceremony.
The demonstrations have not been exclusive to Spain: less disruptive protests continued at one-day races in Canada, the GP Quebec and GP Montreal, while race organisers have begun to express discomfort with the team’s involvement in the sport.
Spanish race O Gran Camiño became the first to announce that it would not invite Israel Premier-Tech to next year’s edition. The Canary Isands are expected to host the end of the 2026 Vuelta, but the president of the Gran Canaria council has expressed his opposition to IPT being on the start line, and Barcelona’s sports councillor David Escude has also said the team is not welcome ahead of the planned Grand Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour de France in the city.
The backlash has now spreaded to the team’s backers, with Factor founder Rob Gitelis telling Cyclingnews earlier this week: “I’ve already told the team: Without a name change, without a flag change, we won’t continue.
“It's no longer a personal thing of I support this or I support that. There's just a certain level of controversy we just can't have surrounding the brand.
“We're talking about a full rebranding of the team, if it's going to take place. That's a very significant undertaking, as well as moving rider contracts to another country.”
Premier-Tech released a statement via Radio Canada saying: “We are sensitive and attentive to the situation on the international scene, which has evolved considerably since our arrival on the World Tour in 2017.
“Involved in cycling for more than 30 years, Premier Tech has always placed the development of the sport and Quebec and Canadian cyclists at the heart of its involvement.
“However, the current situation regarding the team name is no longer sustainable to achieve our goal, which is the very reason for our involvement in cycling.
“Our expectation is that the team will move to a new name that excludes the term Israel, and that it will adopt a new identity and brand image.”
Israel Premier-Tech released a short statement saying: “The team is currently in the planning phase for 2026 team branding and will communicate any potential changes in due course.”
