Jakob Fuglsang - 'Nice to be without an Israel logo'
After competing in his final professional race on home soil at the Tour of Denmark, Jakob Fuglsang of Israel Premier Tech has officially retired. In an interview with Danish publication Feltet, Fuglsang reflected on the end of his career and on no longer wearing the colours of Israel Premier Tech.
The Dane enjoyed an illustrious career that began in 2006 with the Danish outfit Team Designa Køkken, before moving on to Saxo Bank, Leopard Trek and Radioshack-Nissan, and then embarking on a long and successful spell at Astana. It was with the Kazakh team that he achieved his greatest triumphs, winning two Monuments, Il Lombardia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as well as two editions of the Critérium du Dauphiné. In 2022 he joined Israel Premier Tech, where he was unable to replicate the heights of his Astana years, yet he will still be remembered as a rider beloved by fans, admired for his trademark racing style.
Regarding no longer wearing the Israel Premier Tech jersey, the 40-year-old Dane told Feltet: “Of course, it’s nicer to be without. I don’t want to get myself involved in what’s happening politically, but it’s definitely nicer to ride around without the Israel logo than with the Israel logo,” Fuglsang said.
During stage 6 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia, protestors disrupted the race to express their opposition to Israel Premier Tech’s participation. Fuglsang reflected on those incidents: “I actually didn’t experience that. With or without Israel-PremierTech at the start, there probably still would have been demonstrations. You also see climate protests during the Tour de France. These are big events with a lot of media attention. That said, it’s better to ride without [the logo].”
His remarks echo a sentiment increasingly shared within the peloton. Recently, Alessandro De Marchi commented on the issue of riding for Israel Premier Tech, saying: ‘I wouldn’t sign a contract with Israel.’
Israel Premier Tech is owned by Canadian-Israeli businessman Sylvain Adams, who has bankrolled the team since 2015 and financed the first Grande Partenza outside Europe, when the 2018 Giro d’Italia began in Israel. The team is set to move up to the UCI WorldTour for the next promotion and relegation cycle.
