Teams & Riders Israel Premier Tech

[jono]

One might also say it'll be a huge mess if protestors foul up the races.

I know, it's super weird to assign some part of the blame to the people who would, in the scenario you outline, be the ones actually creating the mess. But I'm a wild and crazy guy...

There was no blame assigned in the text you quoted. Just that there would be a mess.

 

[jono]

that's news to me here in Italy

Israel-Premier Tech pull out of Gran Piemonte, Tre Valli Varesine and Coppa Bernocchi as pro-Palestine protests spread across Italy

Team automatically invited to Il Lombardia but final season races of 2025 in doubt

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[pastronef]

Protests in Italy - new use for a bike too!

protests for the Gaza situation, not related to the actual IPT presence on half unknown, to them, cycling races startlists

 

[Unchained]

Super selfish about riders lives and career longevity.
If Israel association is not bettering the team, the brand, the riders, why bother?

Are more people booking vacations to Israel because of team association?
Are investors speculating on business opportunities because of positive brand affiliation with Israel Premier Tech? No.
.responsible ownership can see that team brand is diminished, almost worthless or worse.. And that tiny performance window for endurance athletes is being pissed away.. ..instead of racing for results, team is in an argument even to enter events.
UCI is a joke, riders union is a scam.
. Nobody on IPT has a chance at anything.. UCI has another category for team relegation but won't say it officially..
Want instead to do some BS, race by race reevaluation.. ..nobody at IPT has a chance.. Stop pretending.

 

[search]

as expected, IPT will be rebranded for 2026, not carrying a Israeli license or name anymore. Sylvain Adams will step down from his current role as well

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[pastronef]

will they have Israeli riders in 2026? as of now PCS doesn't list any

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Moderator:
Posts deleted: A cycling forum is not the place to discuss the rights and wrongs, efficacy or futility of protest.

 

[aphronesis]

as expected, IPT will be rebranded for 2026, not carrying a Israeli license or name anymore. Sylvain Adams will step down from his current role as well

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This was mostly inevitable given the current tone of things. It might be interesting to see how extensive the rebranding is and, relative to that, how much conviction it carries for people.

 

[Leadbelly]

Sad in a way that it has come to this for the team, but it was really the only thing that would allow them to continue racing and for me, as a fan, that's definitely better than them stopping or continuing along the same path with protests/cancellations.

It is somewhat surprising though as I didn't see Adams backing down, but the pressure was building from sponsors, organizers and maybe even the riders themselves and I think it's the right decision as the team was just acting as a lightning conductor in it's current form.

Still lots of unanswered questions about the new brand (Factor-Premier Tech?), when it will come into effect (before Lombardia?) nationality (Canadian?), the budget (more or less?) Gee (Benson had an recent update on his situation, but I don't know what it is), other transfers (Girmay?), the devo team (continue or not? Frigo jr to sign now?), Israeli riders (I hope some continue on the teams) etc etc.

 

[Rob5091]

Only sensible thing to do in the current situation, but Adams continued role (even if he's not seen) might cause some headaches. Big question is though, what about Froomey?!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yea, Adams is stepping back in the same way as Brailsford at Skyneos. The project is still his baby and he'll still be pulling some strings behind the scenes, you'd expect, but in the current environment he's become toxic and he recognises that, at least in the short to medium term, it is better for the project and team to suppress that part of its identity in the name of survival and avoiding pariah status, than to slowly bleed sponsors, equipment partners, and riders (with difficulty attracting quality riders to replace them) until the team becomes untenable at any level, let alone providing a competitive lineup at the World Tour.

 

[RedheadDane]

So, what's the new name gonna be?
Just Premier Tech?
I'm guessing they'll ride under Canadian license...

 

[AmRacer]

So, what's the new name gonna be?
Just Premier Tech?
I'm guessing they'll ride under Canadian license...

 

[aruipksni]

Sad in a way that it has come to this for the team, but it was really the only thing that would allow them to continue racing and for me, as a fan, that's definitely better than them stopping or continuing along the same path with protests/cancellations.

It is somewhat surprising though as I didn't see Adams backing down, but the pressure was building from sponsors, organizers and maybe even the riders themselves and I think it's the right decision as the team was just acting as a lightning conductor in it's current form.

Still lots of unanswered questions about the new brand (Factor-Premier Tech?), when it will come into effect (before Lombardia?) nationality (Canadian?), the budget (more or less?) Gee (Benson had an recent update on his situation, but I don't know what it is), other transfers (Girmay?), the devo team (continue or not? Frigo jr to sign now?), Israeli riders (I hope some continue on the teams) etc etc.

i don't know what's going to happen to this team, but i hope that at least now Adams will start actually invest is money in Israel itself, instead of wasting his billions on has-beens like Froom and Madonna, legions of foreigners mercenaries riding on 2 wheels , and bicycle courses in Rwanda.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

One can't help but wonder, would it have helped had they changed the name to Israel Secondary Tech.

 

[aruipksni]

One can't help but wonder, would it have helped had they changed the name to Israel Secondary Tech.

it sounds misleading , but Premier Tech is actually a multinational company based in Quebec - it is not a place holder...

 

[pastronef]

Still lots of unanswered questions about the new brand (Factor-Premier Tech?), when it will come into effect (before Lombardia?) nationality (Canadian?)

from 2026. they'll race the last few races this year just without Israel on the jerseys. I'm curious about what will happen next Saturday for Lombardia. they're lucky there's no races in Spain.
I also wonder if they'll have any Israeli riders in 2026 (as of now, PCS has none of them in their 2026 roster)
in any case Itzulia in April 2026 will show us if the changes are useful or not

 

[jono]

it sounds misleading , but Premier Tech is actually a multinational company based in Quebec - it is not a place holder...

It's also worth noting that although they were a sponsor of the Israel team for 4 years, Premier Tech is not deeply wedded with any sort of Israeli project. Previously they were in the World Tour as the second title sponsor with Astana in 2021 (trading one dubious sportswashing project for another in order to get their Canadian foot in the door of World Tour cycling). There are staff, most notably Steve Bauer, that moved with the sponsor to Israel (I believe that partnership fell apart because Premier Tech wanted to exert more control and Vinokourov wanted none of it).

The Canadian side of the operation, I think, is more connected with Premier Tech than with Sylvan Adams. I'm not convinced a "quiet partner" Adams can exist, and I hope he quickly gets the boot or takes the hint and leaves of his own accord. What's left is a mostly-Anglo team, at least on the riders side, with a sponsor that has shown relatively longtime interest in pursuing the World Tour.

The name Premier Tech is a bit odd too. Very general, of course, but still one you'd expect to be on the cutting edge of some hardware or software field, not a purveyor of mulch and fertilizer and such.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

it sounds misleading , but Premier Tech is actually a multinational company based in Quebec - it is not a place holder...

I'm sorry. I knew.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Generally I believe in sports being apolitical, yet that’s an ideal far removed from reality today.

Specifically on IPT it is truly bad when activists - of all sorts and forms - are allowed to have a material impact on sports organizers, teams, sponsors and individual athletes. Still that seems to be the contemporary reality we’ll all have to deal with.

I guess best middle ground is to concede and to let go for now but we’re definitely on a slippery slope… not sure I like it… at all!