The iconic Italian one-day race, the Giro dell'Emilia, has joined the list of events at risk due to the planned participation of Israel-Premier Tech. Bologna's city council has called for the exclusion of the Israel-registered team, which has been the target of several pro-Palestine protests in recent months.
This follows on from 2.1 stage race, O Gran Camiño, confirming they won't invite Sylvan Adams' team next year. Local councils for part of the planned finale of next year's Vuelta a España, and Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour de France in Barcelona, have also stated that they won't go ahead with Israel-Premier Tech on the start line.
Amid Israel's ongoing armed conflict in Gaza, protests have been widespread throughout Italy this past week, with ports being blocked and thousands protesting in the streets of major cities, following the recognition of Palestine as a state by the UK, France and others in the international community, but not Italy.
With the major late-season Italian Classics just around the corner, Israel-Premier Tech's presence looks likely to become an ongoing factor, just as it was during the Vuelta a España, where several stages were disrupted, shortened, or even cancelled.
"We are opposed to the participation of an Israeli team in the Giro dell'Emilia at a time like this, when the Israeli government is committing serious crimes against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip," said Bologna City Councillor for Sport Roberta Li Calzi to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"This is not an anti-athlete stance, but we cannot accept that a team linked to that same government can participate in a sporting event, which by its very nature represents diametrically opposed values. We ask the organisers of the Giro dell'Emilia to exclude the Israeli Premier Tech team from the event."
La Gazzetta also reported that threats to block the race have also come from community centres. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 5, and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is the defending champion.
Giro dell'Emilia race organiser Adriano Amici responded to the calls, but said excluding Israel-Premier Tech was not possible.
"It's not me who should exclude the Israeli team, but the UCI should be the one who, when it sees certain things, communicates that it's better for that team not to compete. We invite the best teams in the world," Amici told La Gazzetta.
"My position becomes difficult because I have the obligation to invite basically the best teams and riders. And the name of the team has nothing to do with it.
"I will now speak with their sports directors, who will take into consideration the fact that they are not welcome by the institutions, but I can't do anything about it on a sporting level. The riders are the ones who make the races. Politics has little to do with this. It's clear that I agree with those who say this war isn't right. Who doesn't?"
Recent developments suggest a change of team name and removal of 'Israel' from their title is imminent, with bike brand Factor's founder Rob Gitelis telling Cyclingnews: "I've already told the team: Without a name change, without a flag change, we won't continue."
This was backed up by a statement from Canadian title sponsor Premier Tech, which released a statement to Radio Canada stating: "Our expectation is that the team will move to a new name that excludes the term Israel, and that it will adopt a new identity and brand image."
While the team's official stance, as told to Cyclingnews in a statement, is that Israel-Premier Tech are "currently in the planning phase for 2026 team branding, and will communicate any potential changes in due course," Israeli billionaire owner Sylvan Adams remains evasive on the recent statements.
Adams was questioned by the written press in Rwanda at an official opening of a new cycling clubhouse for a Rwandan women's team, with the heartwarming charity project being co-funded by Israel-Premier Tech.
The team owner expressed his link to Rwanda as being rooted in the shared experiences of Jewish and Rwandan people during the respective atrocities against them during the 20th century: "We both lived through genocide, a word that was unfortunately invented after the Shoah [Holocaust]."
In-depth reporting from Het Nieuwsblad's Jan-Pieter De Vlieger detailed the encounter and questioning of Adams, who could only add that "The team has issued a statement, which speaks for itself; I can't add anything to it," reportedly also refusing to comment on the protests at the Vuelta.
Following the United Nations' decision to now use the term 'genocide' to describe Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza, Adams did comment, but only after a pause.
"In 1948, when the Israeli state was founded, there were 60,000 Arabs in Gaza," he told Nieuwsblad. "Today, there are 1.8 million. The Jewish population hasn't yet returned to its 1938 level. The numbers speak for themselves."
Nieuwsblad reported that Adams was overhead, stating, "I don't like being attacked," after communications staff were "less than pleased with his response."
