Four riders renew with soon-to-be rebranded Israel-Premier Tech

George Bennett, Guillaume Boivin, Hugo Hofstetter, and Nick Schultz have all renewed their contracts with Israel-Premier Tech, the team has announced.

Bennett and Boivin have renewed for the 2026 season, Hofstetter has renewed through the 2027 season, while Schultz is on board until the end of 2028.

The team, headed up by the likes of Corbin Strong and Stephen Williams, is on course to return to the WorldTour for next season, lying well inside the top 18 places in the world ranking for the 2023-2025 licence period.

It will be known under a different name in 2026 after several sponsors, including Premier Tech and Factor, expressed the desire to move away from the current name following mass protests at the Vuelta a España over Israel's war in Gaza, actions defined as a genocide according to a UN commission of inquiry.

Canadian racer Boivin and Frenchman Hofstetter will continue to form key roles in the Classics lineup next season, while Bennett will continue as road captain and climber, and Schultz works as a key domestique.

Boivin has been with the squad since 2016. He's on board through his 11th season, and is looking ahead to a home Road World Championships in Canada next season.

"I’m very happy and grateful to be staying with the team for another year. Next year will be 11th year with the team and even though I’ve been doing this for a while now, I’m very excited about the challenges ahead," Boivin said.

"Next year will also be a big year with the UCI Road World Championships in my hometown of Montréal. It would be a dream to be there competing next September."

Hofstetter said he feels "very at home" at the team and hopes to aim for the 2027 French national title in his hometown.

"It was a really good start to the season for me this year and the team gave put a lot of trust in me as a protected rider," Hofstetter said. "I’m really appreciative of this and, of course, I’m really happy to re-sign with them.

"After some good results, for example in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and Gent-Wevelgem, I wanted to stay and we quickly agreed to an extension."

New Zealander Bennett's role on the team is a key climbing domestique for the likes of Williams and Riccitello, something he'll continue next season.

"I’m really happy to be continuing with the team. It’s a very special environment and a great group of people to be involved with," Bennett said.

"They have shown me a lot of support on and off the bike in what’s been a tough year and we have a lot of ambition to continue to evolve into one of the best teams in the world, so I’m excited to be a part of it."

Australian racer Schultz will race his fourth season with the team next year and has signed a three-year extension to stay on board.

"Being able to extend this journey for another three years means a great deal to me and I’m grateful to the team for having the confidence in me to offer that opportunity, especially during what was a difficult first half of the year plagued by injury," Schultz said.

"Going forward, I hope to continue my role as a key domestique for our big leaders and be as reliable as possible every time I put a number on. I know that with our amazing performance staff I’ll be given a platform to always keep improving and if I can do that, each year will be a success."

The four contract renewals are among the few major moves the team has made during this end-of-season transfer window. Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) and Brady Gilmore (neo-pro) are signing up, while Jakob Fuglsang and Michael Woods are retiring.

Matthew Riccitello is heading off to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale for 2026, while another key rider, Derek Gee, is trying to exit his contract early.

The team, which has recently withdrawn from several end-of-season Italian Classics due to concerns over potential further mass protests, has mounted a legal claim of €30 million against Gee after he announced that he and his legal representatives had unilaterally terminated his contract.

On Thursday, Gee released a statement outlining his decision and announcing the action the team has taken against him.

"I terminated my contract with just cause, as is every person's right when they are unable to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances," Gee wrote.

"This decision was not taken lightly - it followed an irreparable relationship with the team principal, as well as serious concerns related to racing for the team, both from a safety and personal-belief standpoint that weighed heavily on my conscience.

"I am now facing what I understand to be a damages claim said to exceed approximately 30 million euros - for doing nothing more than exercising my fundamental rights as a professional and a person."