O Gran Camiño against inviting Israel-Premier Tech to 2026 race as Spanish protests against team widen

O Gran Camiño is the first race to openly say it does not plan to invite the Israel-Premier Tech team to their race in 2026, as calls to isolate Israel sports teams increase after the Vuelta a España protests.

The president of the Gran Canaria council has warned that the Spanish island would not host the expected final stages of the 2026 Vuelta if Israel-Premier Tech takes part in the race, and the Barcelona Sports councillor has said the city does not want the team at next year's Tour de France Grand Depart in the city.

Israel-Premier Tech is expected to secure a WorldTour licence in 2026 and so will have automatic invitations to the sport's biggest races. However, smaller non-WorldTour races like O Gran Camiño and other Spanish early-season races are able to choose which team they invite.

The five-stage O Gran Camiño is held in Galicia, in northern Spain. The 2025 edition of the race was held in late February and won by Israel-Premier Tech's Derek Gee, but race organiser Ezequiel Mosquera made it clear he does want the team to defend their victory in 2026. Gee has not raced for Israel-Premier Tech since the summer and has unilaterally terminated his contract.

"Right now, any organisation where they competed last year will be asking themselves the same questions we are," Mosquera, the head of the company that runs O Gran Camiño, told the Spanish EFE news agency.

Mosquera attended the Vuelta a España, when Pro-Palestine protesters disrupted the race and even sparked the early end of several stages, including on the final day in central Madrid.

The Spanish Prime Minister publicly supported the protests and has called for Israel to be banned from global sport. Protesters were already present at this year's O Gran Camiño, but didn't disturb the racing.

In October 2023, a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparked Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza. So far, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 64,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, with much of Gaza being destroyed.

"It's not an easy situation for anyone," Mosquera said, describing the Vuelta protests as "extremely tense" and "very difficult to manage" for riders, directors, and the organisation. He intends to apply "rigour" and "maximum objectivity" in his decision.

O Gran Camiño could change dates for 2026 and be promoted to the ProSeries category, which would award more ranking points and attract bigger teams.

"We want to continue protecting what we have; we're proud of what we've built in just four years," he said as the UCI prepares to reveal the 2026 race calendars at the Road World Championships in Rwanda.