'Without a name change, without a flag change, we won't continue' - Israel-Premier Tech bike sponsor Factor pushes team owner to make name and flag change

In the wake of the pro-Palestine protests at the Vuelta a España and the targeting of the Israel-Premier Tech team, bike sponsor Factor has met with the team's owner Sylvan Adams to discuss their ongoing partnership, and more specifically a change in the team name and the nationality.

Speaking exclusively to Cyclingnews, Factor's founder Rob Gitelis explained that without a name change and a disassociation with the country of Israel, Factor's position as a sponsor will no longer be tenable.

"I've already told the team: Without a name change, without a flag change, we won't continue," Gitelis said.

Cyclingnews understands that Adams was on board with changing the name of the team from Israel-Premier Tech, though he had assumed the flag of the team would stay Israeli.

Cyclingnews understands that both the team name and flag change, without specific confirmation of what both will become, have been provisionally agreed.

The Israel-Premier Tech team told Cyclingnews they are "currently in the planning phase for 2026 team branding and will communicate any potential changes in due course."

UCI rules indicate October 15 as the deadline for teams to register their nationality based on the nationality of their paying agent, licence holder or a product or service of a main sponsor.

Gitelis went on to explain his reasoning, stating, "It's not a matter of right or wrong anymore. It's become too controversial around our brand, and my responsibility is to my employees and my shareholders, to give them maximum space with which to grow this company and make it profitable. Adding additional level of conflict or complexity, we just can't accept that any more.

"It's no longer a personal thing of I support this or I support that. There's just a certain level of controversy we just can't have surrounding the brand."

He later added that these terms are just the "absolute minimum requirements," too, and that there will be "other considerations" to be made too, although he didn't go into the details on what these would be.

Just two months ago, during the Tour de France, the team issued a press release proclaiming an indefinite partnership between the two sides but Gitelis explains this was nothing more than a verbal agreement, and one that is no longer tenable following recent events at the Vuelta.

"We don't have a signed contract for 2026 and beyond," Gitelis told Cyclingnews.

"We did have a verbal commitment to continue, but things have escalated since then that we can no longer continue to meet that verbal commitment."

Cyclingnews understands that the details surrounding the partnership following a name change have yet to be ironed out, with the additional complication that no new name has yet been put forward.

There is speculation that it could be Factor-Premier Tech, or Premier Tech-Factor, but no official statement has been made in this regard.

Pro-Palestine protests have targeted at the team for a long time, with police providing extra security. There were significant protests at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France but the escalations Gitelis mentions centre primarily on the recent Vuelta a España.

The race was marred by huge pro-Palestine protests on a daily basis, with five of the stages forced to be shortened, and two completed without a stage winner.

As a result, the team removed the word Israel from its kit, after earlier removing the name from the team bus and vehicles, and giving team riders unbranded kit to use when training at home.

Adams however, who built the team as a celebration of his home nation, has thus far been unwilling to to formally change the team name and its associated country.

"I think everyone understands that coming off the Vuelta, it's become a lot more urgent and serious," Gitelis continued.

"These things take time, registering teams, working with the UCI but I think action needs to start imminently.

"We're talking about a full rebranding of the team, if it's going to take place. That's a very significant undertaking, as well as moving rider contracts to another country."

Scroll through any of Factor's social media feeds and its notably devoid of any mentions of the team.

Although Gitelis denies its an intentional dissociation, he admits the brand is unable to celebrate the team given the political sensitivity.

"This isn't something that started a week ago, 10 days ago, a month ago. This has been going on now since nearly two years. We've found it difficult for the past two years to really use and activate the team to the level that we would like to. We've been politically sensitive, as it's a difficult time.

"I wouldn't say we're trying to disassociate but it's always been difficult to get the maximum activation out of the team that we would like.

"It's difficult to celebrate the victory of the team, so we've been celebrating the victory of the athlete. When Stevie Williams won a Classic [Flèche Wallonne] last year, we celebrated Stevie Williams, we didn't celebrate Israel-Premier Tech. We were not able to activate it to the level that we would like to."