Riders of the Israel Premier Tech team compete as people holding Palestinian flags try to disrupt the eleventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race, from Bilbao to Bilbao, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Riders of the Israel Premier Tech team compete as people holding Palestinian flags try to disrupt the eleventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race, from Bilbao to Bilbao, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Israel Premier Tech cycling team has been urged by its title sponsor to change its name in the face of pro-Palestinian protests.
Riders were targeted at the recent Spanish Vuelta, causing disruption to the Grand Tour event. Spain’s government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage when protestors criticized the presence of Israel Premier Tech.
In a statement reported by Radio Canada, Premier Tech said 鈥渢he current situation regarding the team name is no longer sustainable to achieve our goal.鈥
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Premier Tech is a multinational company based in Quebec, Canada. It is the title sponsor of the cycling team co-owned by Israeli Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams.
The Spanish Vuelta, which concluded this month, turned into a . It was repeatedly disrupted by protesters against Israel Premier Tech, which midway through the race from its uniforms after the team faced protests before and during the race days.
The team said that decision was 鈥渋n the interest of prioritizing the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, in light of the dangerous nature of some protests at Vuelta.鈥
Yet protests persisted 鈥 culminating in the mass demonstration in Madrid, which meant the race had to be cut short by about 50 kilometers (30 miles).
Premier Tech’s stance comes after a report that bike manufacturer and technical partner Factor also raised doubts about its association with the team.
“Without a name change, without a flag change, we won鈥檛 continue,鈥 company founder Rob Gitelis told Cycling News.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The protestors in Spain said their actions were aimed at denouncing that has killed tens of thousands of people. It was launched after Hamas鈥 deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation