The cycling team formerly known as Israel – Premier Tech has changed hands. In a turn of events, businessman Sylvan Adams is leaving the scene, selling the team's structure to a business group led by a well-known figure: Andrés Iniesta. The former Barcelona player is entering the world of cycling through his company NSN, which will lend its name to a team that is guaranteed participation in the next three editions of the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España. Last week, the details of this operation were finalized, and it has been very positively received within the Union Cycliste Professional (UCP), as the Israel – Premier Tech team had become problematic. Pending a financial audit, a necessary requirement, the new project is already operational and will present its corporate image in the coming days.

On August 27th, five pro-Palestinian activists from Alt Empordà blocked the Israeli team participating in the Vuelta a España. It happened during a team time trial in Figueres and was the first in a series of protests against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team in the race, actions that continued at every stage until the final day. "When we found out the Vuelta was coming, we decided to take some completely peaceful action, and luckily in Figueres it was a team time trial. That made it very easy for us to block only the Zionist team, the Israeli team. We didn't want to cause any problems for the cyclists, Oliver, or anyone else," explains the young activist, who has been involved in various causes for many years. The action, however, became the spark for a widespread protest throughout the country. It ended up paralyzing the entry of the Vuelta into MadridBut in practical terms, the Figueres blockade is currently the only boycott against the Israeli team's participation that the Vuelta a España organizers have reported. It resulted in one arrest: that of Esteve Robleda i Sastre, an educational psychologist. In a city with few demonstrations, dozens of people gathered in front of the Mossos d'Esquadra police station in the capital of the Alt Empordà region to demand his release. On Saturday, a fundraising event for Palestine was held in Figueres, both in case the complaint ends up in court and to support the Palestinian people. It was also an opportunity to learn firsthand how the protest against the Israel Premier Tech team's participation in the cycling competition was organized.

The most politicized Vuelta a España of all time ended prematurely. With 57 km to go, riders climbed into their team vehicles as pro-Palestinian protesters managed to block the road. The final stage, finishing in Madrid, was expected to be complicated by a demonstration against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, and that's exactly what happened. The war in Gaza, currently at the center of the political agenda, also took center stage in this race due to the presence of this team owned by a businessman close to the Netanyahu government. As the race progressed and more news of civilian deaths in Gaza arrived, tensions grew at the Vuelta. In the end, the race was unable to complete its route, as the organizers feared.

Will the Vuelta a España reach its destination? A growing number of voices are expressing doubts about the Spanish race's ability to meet its schedule, with the final finish in Madrid this coming Sunday, due to the growing number of pro-Palestinian protesters organized against the presence of the Israel Premier-Tech team. This Thursday's stage, a 27.2 km individual time trial in Valladolid, was cut to a 12-kilometer route "with the aim of providing greater protection for development," according to the organizers. Being a time trial, the goal was to protect the Israeli team's riders with a shorter route featuring barriers. Two people were arrested during a day of confrontation between Podemos, which considers the presence of the Israeli team a disgrace, and the PP, which defends it. The stage was won by Italian Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), seven seconds faster than Australian Jay Vine (UAE) and Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE). Almeida has shaved a few seconds off general classification leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma), who now has a 40-second lead over the Portuguese rider.

The Israel Premier Tech team continues to be one of the protagonists of this edition of the Vuelta a Espana. The team, owned by a tycoon who supports the Netanyahu government, sees protests organized on roadsides against its presence at every stage. Today, the team announced that it is removing the country's name from the jersey at the Vuelta a Espana to "prioritize the safety" of its "cyclists and the entire peloton, given the danger of some protests at the Vuelta," they explained. "Israel Premier Tech has provided the cyclists with a uniform bearing the team's monogram for the remainder of the race," a uniform with a logo that does not include the name of Israel. The Israeli team, however, emphasizes that "the team name remains Israel Premier Tech," although it explains: "The monogrammed uniform now aligns with the branding decisions we have previously adopted for our vehicles and casual wear," from which it has also removed the name of Israel.