Israel–Premier Tech to drop Israeli identity amid safety concerns

Facing protests and security risks, Israel–Premier Tech will rebrand for 2026, removing “Israel” from its name to ensure the team’s survival in Europe.

After more than a decade representing Israel on cycling’s biggest stages, theIsrael–Premier Tech professional cycling team announced it will undergo a dramatic rebrand for the 2026 season, dropping its Israeli identity in order to continue competing safely in Europe.

The decision marks a painful turning point for a team that once proudly carried Israel’s flag into the world’s most prestigious races – from the Tour de France to the Giro d’Italia – but now finds itself forced to shed that identity amid an increasingly hostile international environment.

The team confirmed the move Monday, saying it will rename and rebrand “to secure its future,” following months of escalating protests that have targeted its riders at events across Europe.

Demonstrations erupted repeatedly at the Vuelta a España and other races, with activists opposing Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and calling for the team to be banned from competition. Several races were disrupted, and the team’s invitation to the Giro dell’Emilia was rescinded by organizers citing public safety risks.

During the Vuelta, team members quietly removed the word “Israel” from their jerseys to prevent further confrontations – a symbolic yet heartbreaking moment for the organization that was founded to showcase Israeli sporting excellence and coexistence through sport.

Even that measure proved insufficient, as anti-Israel demonstrations followed the riders from one country to another. The team eventually withdrew from several Italian races altogether after authorities expressed concern over potential violence.

'Essential to ensuring the team’s survival'

The rebrand comes after weeks of pressure from sponsors, including the Canadian technology company Premier Tech and bike manufacturer Factor, who warned that ongoing political targeting endangered both the riders’ safety and the team’s financial stability. In a statement, management said the decision was “essential to ensuring the team’s survival,” describing it as an act of painful pragmatism rather than choice.

Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, who has been the team’s owner and public face since 2016, announced that he will step back from day-to-day operations. Adams, who has long described the project as “Israel’s cycling ambassador to the world,” said the move was personally difficult but unavoidable given the current climate.

“In sport, progress often requires sacrifice,” the team said in its statement. “This step is necessary to secure the future of our riders and staff.”

Adams, who will now focus on his role as President of the World Jewish Congress (Israel), played a central role in building the organization from the ground up. What began in 2014 as the Israel Cycling Academy – a modest effort to give Israeli athletes an international platform – grew into one of the top professional cycling outfits in the world. The team reached the sport’s elite level, the UCI WorldTour, earned stage wins at the Tour de France and the Giro, and proudly integrated riders from around the globe under an Israeli banner.

But the rise of global anti-Israel sentiment over the past year has made that identity increasingly untenable. At several events in Spain, Italy, and Canada, pro-Palestinian groups called for the team’s expulsion, claiming that its mere presence “sportswashed” Israel’s image. In Montreal, local activists even petitioned the city to bar the squad from competing. Despite assurances that the team is privately funded and focused solely on sport, it became a lightning rod for protests far removed from the cycling world.

Inside Israel, the announcement has been met with disappointment and frustration. Many Israelis viewed the team as a symbol of national pride – an example of how sport could bridge divides and challenge stereotypes about the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly expressed his support for the team, praising its riders for “representing Israel’s spirit and resilience on the world stage.”

For now, the team insists that its mission remains unchanged: to nurture cycling talent from Israel and around the world. Management has confirmed that ownership and financing will remain intact and that the team expects to return to the WorldTour in 2026 under a new name and registration. Yet the loss of “Israel” from its title – once the heart of its identity – underscores how politics and security fears have intruded even into the most neutral of sporting arenas.

For Adams and those who helped build the program, the coming rebrand represents not a defeat of values, but a painful concession to reality. In the words of one team official “We started this journey to put Israel on the map of world cycling. Now, to stay on that map, we have to take Israel’s name off the jersey.”