Canadian company Premier Tech has announced the termination of its co-title sponsorship with the Israel-based cycling team that has faced a wave of protests in recent months. In a statement released on Friday, Premier Tech stated that the sponsorship, which had linked the company to the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech, would end immediately.
This decision follows the team's earlier announcement of a rebranding plan after a challenging 2025 season. Premier Tech acknowledged the team's intention to change its name for the upcoming 2026 season but indicated that the core reasons for their sponsorship had been overshadowed to an extent that made it untenable for them to continue.
In their statement, Premier Tech expressed gratitude towards the team’s riders and staff, describing their time together as “four unforgettable seasons.” The team is co-owned by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, who has indicated plans to reduce his daily involvement with the team amid the controversies.
This season, the team members became the subjects of pro-Palestinian protests, which disrupted their competition schedule significantly. Events such as the Spanish Vuelta were dramatically impacted, with protests affecting multiple stages. According to Spain's government, protests drew over 100,000 people into the streets of Madrid during the final stage, expressing opposition to the team’s participation.
In response to these protests, Israel-Premier Tech took measures to adapt, such as changing their riders’ uniforms at the Vuelta to feature a “team monogram-branded kit.” The team subsequently withdrew from three one-day races in Italy due to security concerns that arose from the ongoing protests, and their invitation to the Giro dell'Emilia was rescinded by race organizers.
The controversies surrounding Israel-Premier Tech were not confined to events in Europe. In Canada, a Montreal-based human rights organization requested that former mayor Valérie Plante initiate a ban on the team’s participation in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal, scheduled for September, citing Israel's actions in the ongoing war in Gaza. The organization known as Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU) urged the Montreal City authorities to exclude the team, which Adams had referred to as ambassadors for Israel. Despite the call for exclusion, the team did compete in the race.
Israel-Premier Tech features several Canadian riders, including Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin, Riley Pickrell, and Pier-André Côté. Steve Bauer, who was the first Canadian to win a stage in the Tour de France, serves as the team's sporting manager. Notably, Woods, at 38 years old, recently announced that this season would be his last as a professional rider, while fellow Canadian Derek Gee is currently engaged in a contract dispute with the team.
As the cycling world watches these developments unfold, the future of the team, particularly in light of the controversy and its impact on sponsorship, remains uncertain.
