Israel Premier Tech cycling team removes state name from jersey

BarcelonaThe 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.

The first stage with this new addition ended with a victory for Catalan rider Marc Soler (UAE). The Villanueva native soloed the 135.9 km fourteenth stage between Avilés and Alto de la Farrapona after a powerful attack with 12 km to go. Second place went to Jonas Vingegaard, and third to Portuguese rider Joao Almeida, 40 seconds behind the winner. In the general classification, Vingegaard retains the red jersey with a 48-second lead over Almeida.

The stage experienced tense moments at the start, with protesters opposed to the presence of the Israeli team. This team was founded in 2014 under the name Cycling Academy Team and took a step forward when Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli businessman, joined the project in 2017. Thanks to Adams' investment, the team was able to enter the UCI World Teams group, the leading category in world cycling. Adams has publicly supported Benjamin Netanyahu's government and, in fact, conducts business with the permission of his government in the occupied West Bank. Adams is currently attending the Vuelta a España, where he has made it clear that he does not intend to withdraw his team. Israel Premier Tech qualified for the Vuelta a España based on sporting merit. Race organizers and the International Cycling Union have stated that "sport and politics cannot be mixed" and that the presence of this team must be respected. Many politicians, including some ministers in the Spanish government and the Asturian government, have expressed support for the team's expulsion, but the Vuelta maintains it cannot do so. Many riders from other teams have hinted that it would be great if the team decided to withdraw, seeing the opposition its presence arouses, but Adams has already made it clear that it will not happen.

In recent days, Sylvan Adams had explained that "we will continue in the race defending the name of Israel," but he has ultimately decided to hide the name. The businessman had been critical of the Basque Country fans, explaining that "it doesn't surprise me; it has always been a stronghold of the far left. There we had ETA terrorism, a group that was an ally of the Palestine Liberation Organization. I have never seen so many Palestinian flags."

Today, several hundred people attended a rally in the center of the Asturian town of Avilés just before the start of the 135.9-kilometer stage, finishing on the steep slopes of the Alto de la Farrapona, near the Somiedo lakes. The protesters, one of whom was injured, carried dozens of Palestinian flags, chanting "Boycott Israel" and "Palestine will win." The general coordinator of the IU (United Left) in Asturias, Ovidio Zapico, attended the protest to assert that the Vuelta "has already been won by Palestine through the massive mobilization of thousands of people" who denounce the "genocide that Israel is committing."

Yesterday, the Civil Guard arrested twelve people for causing public disorder for blocking cyclists at the start of the climb to Angliru during the thirteenth stage of the Vuelta, in protest against the team's participation. At around 4:20 p.m., the three cyclists, Nico Vinokurov, Jefferson Cepeda, and Bob Jungels, who had been escaping from the peloton and starting the climb, were surprised by a group of twelve people who suddenly burst onto the road and blocked it by placing a crowd. This forced the riders to stop for half a minute, although the race continued immediately due to the swift action of the Civil Guard members accompanying the Vuelta. The twelve people arrested have been released and now "face a sanction," reported the government delegate in Asturias, Adriana Lastra.

The twelve arrests in Asturias are in addition to those that took place on Wednesday in Bilbao, where incidents during the Vuelta stage due to protests against the participation of the Israel Premier Tech team resulted in three arrests, another five people identified, and four ERT officers.