Israel confirms participation in European Championships

Israel has confirmed that it will participate in the European Championships in France next week despite security concerns following repeated protests against the Israel-Premier Tech squad during the recent Vuelta a España.

The Israel Cycling Federation will enter riders in the men’s elite, under-23 and junior road races in the Drôme-Ardêche, but no Israeli riders will participate in the time trials.

The French Cycling Federation is involved in the organisation of the championships and president Michel Callot confirmed Israel’s participation on Tuesday.

“Since last night, we officially and definitively know that we have Israeli riders participating,” Callot told L’Équipe. “We also know the categories and in which races. The important information is that the time trials are not affected; we have no entries. 

“In terms of security, that’s an important point. We’ll be able to talk again this week with the government services so they can give us their information on how they see things and where we should, if necessary, strengthen the measures.”

The Israel-Premier Tech team was briefly halted by pro-Palestine demonstrators during the stage 5 team time trial at the Vuelta, while the stage 18 time trial in Valladolid was severely reduced in distance as a precaution.

“The time trial is still really complicated to secure, and we saw what happened at the Vuelta, which compressed its time trial to have a very large security curtain,” Callot said. “So it's a relief for me, as an organiser, that we don’t have any Israeli entries in the time trials, which was the biggest concern.”

Callot acknowledged that the presence of the Israeli delegation would require “strengthened cooperation” with law enforcement around the European Championships, but he insisted that the bulk of the measures had already been in place. “I’m not very worried about what new things this might create,” he said.

The participation of Israeli athletes and teams in international sport has been the focus of increasing opposition amid Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza, and in the wake of the Vuelta, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez called for the country to be barred from international sport.

Gran Canaria has indicated that it will not host the 2026 Vuelta if Israel-Premier Tech are present, while Barcelona has also expressed reservations about hosting the Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour de France.

Israel-Premier Tech’s bike supplier Factor indicated to Cyclingnews this week that it will withdraw its backing unless the team changes its name and nationality.

Asked to outline the French Cycling Federation’s stance on Israel’s participation, Callot said: “It’s absolutely not up to us. We are legalists, the Israeli Federation is a member of the UCI, of the UEC, which gives it the very free right to participate in all championships, and it has done so. 

“It’s up to us to respect this rule; we don’t have to express an opinion as a Federation regarding this participation; it is not our role to enter into the political debate that may accompany it, but simply, by putting on our hats as organiser and host federation to try to do everything possible to ensure that the event goes as smoothly as possible.”