Sylvan Adams dismisses reports of Israel-Premier Tech name change as 'fake news'

Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares has expressed support for Israel-Premier Tech’s removal from the Vuelta a España, but team owner Sylvan Adams insists that he retains the “overwhelming support” of UCI president David Lappartient. Adams has also denied a report that the team would drop the word ‘Israel’ from its name in 2026.

Israel-Premier Tech’s presence at the Vuelta has been the subject of protests throughout the race due to Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza, and a human rights demonstration in Bilbao led to the neutralisation of stage 11 of the race.

Following the stage, Vuelta technical director Kiko García suggested that Israel-Premier Tech’s withdrawal from the race was the only way to guarantee the safety of the peloton. It has also been reported that a number of riders in the peloton have asked Israel-Premier Tech to consider leaving the race.

“I understand that, and I would certainly be in favour of it,” Albares said in an interview with public-service radio station RNE. “We cannot continue the relationship with Israel as if nothing is wrong. We have to send a message to Israel, to Israeli society.”

Albares acknowledged, however, that a decision on Israel-Premier Tech’s participation in the Vuelta can only be taken by the UCI. In a statement on Wednesday evening, the governing body said it “firmly condemns” the protests on the Vuelta.

“This is not a decision of the Spanish government. It is a decision of the UCI. The Spanish government has no say in participation.”

According to the United Nations, more than 58,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel invaded Gaza almost two years ago in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks, which killed more than 700 people.

Speaking to Israeli website Sport5, Sylvan Adams rejected calls for Israel-Premier Tech to leave the Vuelta, and he also dismissed reports that the squad would change its name in 2026.

“Fake news. We will never ride without the name Israel,” said Adams, who claimed that ASO – owner of Vuelta organiser Unipublic – had asked him to remove his team from the race.

“The CEO of ASO, Yann Le Moenner, also asked to remove the team from the race, but I told them that I was not going to do that. If we give up, it’s not just the end of our team, but of all the other teams. Tomorrow they will demonstrate against the teams from Bahrain, the UAE and Astana. There is no end to the boycotts. 

“I told them that they were wrong and that we had the right to stay. I also received overwhelming support from the president of the UCI, David Lappartient.”

There have also been calls from within the peloton for Israel-Premier Tech to leave the Vuelta. On Thursday, Israel-Premier Tech directeur sportif Daryl Impey took the unusual step of claiming that Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) had been the “most vocal” on the issue in a WhatsApp group of rider representatives.

“I think Jorgenson’s been probably the most vocal in the CPA group so maybe you should ask Jorgenson what he thinks,” Impey told FloBikes and the Cycling Podcast. “Our stance is that we’re a sports team and we don’t mix sports with politics but obviously it’s got to point for him so maybe he’s got more to say. He’s been pretty vocal, telling the guys to leave. I don’t know who made him the king of the Vuelta, but maybe you should go and ask him.”

Jorgenson, for his part, expressed regret that the behind-the-scenes discussions had been made public, but he called on the peloton to examine the context of the protests.

“Those statements were made in a private group chat among the riders and I think it’s pretty inappropriate for him to say it publicly in the media and I think it shows his standpoint quite clearly,” Jorgenson told FloBikes. “For me, I don’t have a comment to make on it. I’ve already voiced my opinion in the situations where I’m able to and where I can make an impact.

“Sometimes as cyclists, we’re in our own world. We have to be focused on our tasks and we get annoyed when situations arise. But I would encourage everyone to come out of that and realise the bigger situation and take some perspective.”