Riders Association president Adam Hansen has said that the decision by Israel-Premier Tech to carry out a name change and rebrand of the squad for 2026 could have a positive impact on team members.
Earlier on Monday, Israel-Premier Tech announced that they would be ‘moving away from its current Israeli identity’ next year, with boss Sylvan Adams stepping back from his current role.
The news comes after the team were the target of numerous pro-Palestine protests during the Vuelta a España by demonstrators unhappy with the presence of the squad in the race, causing severe disruption to several stages.
Although the majority of the protests were peaceful, a number of riders were injured either directly or indirectly during the demonstrations, with one, Ivan Romeo (Movistar), withdrawing as a result of his injuries and raising concerns about rider safety.
Since the Vuelta, Israel-Premier Tech have pulled out of multiple Italian late-season races due to security concerns. Several of their sponsors expressed the desire to remove the word ‘Israel’ from the team name in light of the protests – notably bike brand Factor and title sponsor Premier Tech.
The CPA president said he had discussed the ongoing situation with Adams during the World Championships and that, as a result of that, Adams had decided to make changes in the team.
“I personally spoke to Sylvan Adams at Rwanda,” Hansen said. “We spoke about everything that happened at the Vuelta and upcoming races.
“So after reading the news [about the changes in 2026], he kept his word on that, which is great for the riders. They are there to do their job and race. So from the CPA standpoint, we are glad.
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