Rising pressure does not move Israel-Premier Tech to leave the Vuelta

The declaration came after two turbulent days in Spain. On Tuesday, Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty) crashed when protesters waving Palestinian flags spilled onto the road during stage 10. The Italian was able to remount and finish, but later appealed for demonstrations not to endanger riders’ safety. A day later, stage 11 in Bilbao was neutralised with 3km to go after more protests erupted on the finishing straight, forcing organisers to stop the race short.

In its statement, Israel-Premier Tech acknowledged “everyone’s right to protest, as long as those protests remain peaceful and do not compromise the safety of the peloton.” The team thanked the Vuelta organisers and local police for their efforts to keep riders safe, but described the protest in Bilbao as “dangerous and counterproductive,” adding that it deprived Basque cycling fans “of the stage finish they deserved.”

Pressure is nonetheless building. Vuelta technical director Kiko García suggested that the only way to guarantee rider safety would be for Israel-Premier Tech to withdraw from the race. 

Additional calls have come from Spanish political parties, who have demanded that Israel-Premier Tech be expelled from the race. Vuelta organiser Unipublic has repeatedly noted that such a move lies outside its authority. The UCI did step in swiftly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 by banning Gazprom, but so far it has taken no position on Israel-Premier Tech.

Meanwhile, unease within the peloton is deepening, with a growing sense that many riders and teams would prefer the squad’s absence.

For now, Israel-Premier Tech is standing firm. “Israel – Premier Tech is a professional cycling team. As such, the team remains committed to racing on at the Vuelta a España,” the squad said. The statement also expressed gratitude to the organisers, the UCI, and the riders and teams who have shown solidarity both publicly and privately.

The crisis has cast a long shadow over the Spanish Grand Tour, raising questions not only about rider safety in the coming stages but also about how cycling’s governing bodies should respond when political conflict spills directly onto the race.