Israel-Premier Tech cycling team to drop Israeli identity after protests

Pressure on the IPT team, owned by the billionaire entrepreneur Sylvan Adams, intensified following the Spanish race, when mass protests forced the truncation of some stages and the cancellation of the final stage of the Vuelta in Madrid.

The team was also uninvited from one prestigious Italian race, the Giro dell'Emilia, and then withdrew from further forthcoming Italian races for security reasons. Key sponsors, including Factor Bikes and Premier Tech, had also publicly called for a radical change to the team's identity.

A statement from IPT said: "the decision has been made to rename and rebrand the team, moving away from its current Israeli identity. In sport, progress often requires sacrifice, and this step is essential to securing the future of the team."

It added that its culture was "the foundation that enabled the team to overcome the challenges of recent months, standing firmly behind our riders and staff during an incredibly difficult period."

Confirming that the team’s owners and management had "recognised the need for change," the statement also confirmed that "Sylvan Adams has chosen to step back from his day-to-day involvement and will no longer speak on behalf of the team, instead focusing on his role as President of the World Jewish Congress, Israel."

The dramatic pivot by Adams and his team comes only days after Adam Hansen, the president of the professional cyclists' union, suggested that some televised races should be cancelled to deny a platform to pro-Palestinian protesters.

On 5 September, midway through the Vuelta, as calls for the team to leave the race grew more voluble, Netanyahu had posted on X: "Great job to Sylvan (Adams) and Israel's cycling team for not giving in to hate and intimidation. You make Israel proud!"

Despite that show of support, the pressure on the team increased in recent weeks. Talk of issues with rider recruitment, of mass protests at next year's major races, including at the Tour de France start in Barcelona, of sponsor discontent and of rival teams boycotting races in which the IPT team competed, forced their hand.

Adams, who has long been the high-profile face of the team and was also an influential figure in the visit of the Giro d'Italia to Israel in 2018, said: “This is a very painful moment in my life."

Adams said: "As an Israeli whose heart and blood are blue and white, as an immigrant who made Israel my home, as a patriot and Zionist who proudly calls himself ‘Israel’s self-appointed ambassador,’ I cannot, at this moment, continue to take an active part in a team that no longer bears the name Israel.”

Adams added that he would "continue to fight to defend our right, as Jews, to live in peace, safety, and freedom from the wave of hatred, violence, and antisemitism that has surged since the tragic events of October 7."

After winning the final stage of the CRO race in Croatia last Sunday, the team's sprinter, Oded Kogut, said on Instagram: "To all our haters, or everyone who thought to kick us out of this sport, this one is for you, from my whole heart."

Although the team's top talent, Canadian rider Derek Gee, had sought to abruptly terminate his contract stating that “certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable,” his departure remains unconfirmed.

Speaking to The Observer, the team said of the rebrand: "We aren't in a position to confirm timing right now, nor to comment on the 2026 budget but there are no changes to our rider roster. We'll be announcing new signings and rider extensions in the coming weeks."

Photograph by Victor J Blanco/Getty Images