Israel-Premier Tech — a pro cycling team created in 2014 and bought by Canadian-Israeli property developer Sylvan Adams — is shaking things up. This move follows the halting of their racing activities by pro-Palestinian protests. The four-woman team, with roots in Israel, moved up to the top World Tour level of road racing just before the beginning of the 2020 season. For the 2026 season, however, they’ll fully rebrand and shed their “Israeli identity.”
Then in July 2020, the team pulled off an audacious coup to sign four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome. This decision caused quite a buzz and helped raise their profile within the cycling community. In 2023, a growing number of pro-Palestinian activists ramped up their attacks on the team. They even focused it on multiple races, notably the prestigious Vuelta a España grand tour. These protests only became louder as the Vuelta progressed during August and September. The cumulative impact forced organizers to call off the march for the safety of their participants.
Given these circumstances, Premier Tech, the Canadian multinational, acted quickly. According to Ozy, they terminated their sponsorship contract with the team on the spot. As such, this decision marks a historic shift for Israel-Premier Tech. Now, they have to make their way through a hard environment in pro cycling.
These protests are a clear indication of how fed up the public is. There is no doubt that sports are inextricably linked with the societal landscape that surrounds us.
Following the protests, Sylvan Adams emerged as an unofficial ambassador for Israel. Even in the midst of all the chaos that seems to have engulfed them, he promised that he would keep the team on the field. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Israel-Premier Tech for its determination to continue participating in the Vuelta amidst calls for withdrawal.
This was not a universal sentiment among the team. Canadian cyclist Derek Gee walked away from Israel-Premier Tech a little before the Vuelta after the crisis began, saying “personal beliefs” led him to depart. His exit was controversial. The artist’s team subsequently filed a damages claim of 30 million euros, or about $35 million, against him.
Israel-Premier Tech are preparing for a big change, too. First, it needs to reimagine who it is and how it serves the communities, including the issues raised in recent protests. The team’s leadership has stated their intention to move away from its previous branding and identity in order to foster a more inclusive environment within the sport.
We’d especially like to thank our team, both riders and staff alike, for four incredible seasons spent as one. We can hardly overstate our respect for their amazing achievements and their poise on and off the road.
Even more high profile, fellow FIFA Council member and head of Asian football Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain echoed this sentiment. Pilar Alegria expressed her concern over the current state of affairs, stating, “It is difficult to explain and understand that there is a double standard,” referring to perceptions around international responses to various conflicts. Furthermore, she noted that “given that there has been such a massacre, a genocide, such an absolutely terrible situation we are living through day-by-day,” she believes international federations should reconsider their positions similar to decisions made in 2022.
