Israel-Premier Tech will compete under the shortened name IPT at this week’s Canadian WorldTour races in an effort to prevent disruptions from protestors.
Joseph Limare, general manager of Friday’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Sunday’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, said the team’s full name will not appear on riders’ jerseys or results sheet.
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“They asked us to get rid of the word ‘Israel’ from what we could,” Limare said, as reported by the Times of Israel.
Pro-Palestinian protests have recently forced route changes at multiple stages of the ongoing Vuelta a España. Several groups in Canada have announced planned protests at both events.
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After multiple disruptions in Spain–including a potentially dangerous one during IPT’s TTT, the team rebranded its kit. The new jersey does not have the world Israel in it. Although the team is not officially aligned with the State of Israel, it is co-owned by Israeli-Canadian Sylvan Adams. It also has a large Canadian presence–including the cosponsor Premier Tech. Former Tour de France stage winner Steve Bauer is a directeur sportif, and there are several Canadians on the team–including national champion Derek Gee. Sort of.
On August 9, the Osgoode, Ont. rider sent a termination letter to the team for unnamed reasons. The team has said that the rider is still under contract. Gee has not raced since the national championships. He was supposed to ride the Tour du Pologne and the Vuelta.
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