MONTREAL - A Montreal-based human rights group has asked Mayor Val茅rie Plante to bar the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team from competing in Sunday鈥檚 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montr茅al amid the war in Gaza, where aid workers say a famine is unfolding.
Palestinian and Jewish Unity, or PAJU, urged the city on Monday to exclude the squad, whose Canadian-Israeli co-owner, Sylvan Adams, has described the riders as ambassadors for Israel. The team has since referred to itself as simply a 鈥減rofessional cycling team鈥 in response to protests.聽
In its letter to the city, PAJU鈥檚 lawyers said it would be 鈥渉ighly harmful and inexplicable鈥 for Israel-Premier Tech to compete in the publicly funded event. The letter cites Israeli human rights groups that have described Israel鈥檚 actions in Gaza as genocide.
The group, made up of Jews, Palestinians and other Canadians, said the City of Montreal 鈥 a public partner of the race 鈥 鈥渆xposes itself to a real risk of complicity and whitewashing of these crimes through sport, commonly known as 鈥榮portswashing.鈥欌
PAJU鈥檚 lawyers gave the city until Tuesday at 4 p.m. to remove Israel-Premier Tech from the participation list.
鈥淚f we do not receive written confirmation of the team鈥檚 exclusion 鈥 we are mandated to initiate, on behalf of our client, any legal recourse deemed appropriate, without further notice or delay,鈥 the letter read.
Asked about the demand, a spokesperson for Israel-Premier Tech said: 鈥淣o response needed on our end.鈥
A Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal spokesperson said the race organizers would not comment, while the City of Montreal and the UCI World Tour did not respond to requests by Monday afternoon.
The demand follows recent calls in Spain for the team to withdraw from the Vuelta a Espa帽a after a series of disruptions by pro-Palestinian protesters during the three-week Grand Tour race.
Spain鈥檚 foreign minister also said he would support expelling Israel-Premier Tech from the Vuelta.
The Vuelta protests prompted Israel-Premier Tech to change its riders’ uniforms at the race.
“In the interest of prioritizing the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, in light of the dangerous nature of some protests at the Vuelta a Espa帽a, Israel-Premier Tech has issued riders with team monogram-branded kit for the remainder of the race,” the team said in a statement Saturday. “The team name remains Israel-Premier Tech, but the monogram kit now aligns with the branding decisions we have previously adopted for our vehicles and casual clothing.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his support for the team on Friday.
鈥淕reat job to Sylvan and Israel’s cycling team for not giving in to hate and intimidation. You make Israel proud!鈥 Netanyahu said in a social media post.
Israel-Premier Tech’s team at the Vuelta includes Canadian rider Pier-Andr茅 C么t茅.
Other Canadian riders on the IPT roster include Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin, Riley Pickrell and Derek Gee, who is currently in a contract dispute with the team. Former Canadian star Steve Bauer is the team鈥檚 sporting manager.
The team’s title sponsor, Premier Tech, is based in Rivi猫re-du-Loup, Que.
Jean B茅langer, president and CEO of Premier Tech, and fellow Canadian Kevin Ham, founder and CEO of Reinvent and Chit Chats Canada, are partners in the team.
The Montreal race follows the Grand Prix Cycliste de Qu茅bec, set for Friday in Quebec City. They are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour, the top men鈥檚 road cycling circuit.
PAJU said it had not issued the same demand to Quebec City.
Since the most recent Gaza war began in October 2023, pro-Palestinian protests have regularly taken place in Montreal, most notably a months-long encampment at McGill University鈥檚 downtown campus last year.
The Grand Prix also comes amid ongoing friction in Quebec over Muslim prayers during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including outside Montreal鈥檚 Notre-Dame Basilica. On Aug. 28, the provincial government said it would move to ban prayer in public places.
Meanwhile, Canadian Olympic runner Moh Ahmed and hundreds of others have signed a letter urging Tennis Canada to cancel this weekend’s Davis Cup tie with Israel in Halifax.
Tennis Canada said in August the Davis Cup tie would go ahead in Halifax under the International Tennis Federation鈥檚 competition structure.
“Tennis Canada acknowledges the ongoing and deeply complex situation in the Middle East,” the organization said in a statement. “Our focus remains on ensuring a safe, fair, and professional competition for all athletes, staff, volunteers and spectators.”
鈥 With a file from Neil Davidson in Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2025.
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