More fallout for the ProTeam Israel-Premier Tech. Premier Tech, the title sponsor of the squad, has asked the cycling team to change its name and branding to remove the word “Israel.” The demand was made in a statement released Tuesday. In the release, as reported by Radio- Canada, it cited the shifting international climate and growing protests tied to the war in Gaza.
Over the past month, Israel-Premier Tech has been the target of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at several races. They included the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal and the Vuelta a España. In Spain, four stages were disrupted by activists.
New identity needed to go on
The team includes Canadian riders Hugo Houle, Michael Woods and Pier-André Côté. Derek Gee is…sort of on the team. In August he sent a letter of termination to the squad, citing unnamed reasons. The team said, in a statement, the Osgoode, Ont., rider is still under contract.
“Given the current situation, the team’s name has become unsustainable for us to achieve our objective — the very reason for our involvement in cycling,” Premier Tech said in its release. The company emphasized its decades-long commitment to supporting Canadian cycling but made clear that its future with IPT requires “a new identity and brand image” that excludes the word “Israel.”
The ProTeam, set to join the WorldTour in 2026, is co-owned by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams. Of its 32 riders, just three are Israeli, with the rest hailing from Canada, the U.S., Europe, or New Zealand. The State of Israel has no formal connection to the team, though Adams has called himself Israel’s “self-appointed ambassador at large” and has received praise from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Furthermore, a stylized Star of David and the word, “Israel” featured prominently on the jersey until recently.
The pressure is not coming from Premier Tech alone. On Monday, Cyclingnews reported that Factor, the team’s bike supplier, warned Adams it would no longer be tenable to sponsor IPT unless the squad rebranded. Meanwhile, organizers of the Spanish stage race O Gran Camiño announced they would not invite Israel-Premier Tech in 2026.
Ongoing protests when IPT races
In the Canary Islands, local officials have also threatened to block the Vuelta from visiting in 2026 if IPT remains on the start list. The islands are being considered for the final…
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