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Throughout last month's Spanish cycling tour, the team experienced several disruptions as pro-Palestinian protesters organized protests against Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip

Squad representatives described the past few months as "a particularly difficult time" but acknowledged "the need for change"

"With steadfast dedication to our riders, team members, and valued partners, the decision has been made to rename and restructure the team, shifting away from its present Israeli identity"

"Within sports, advancement often demands compromise, and this step is essential to ensuring the future of the organization"

Squad Background and Structure

Israel-Premier Tech team, which features five British riders including multiple Tour de France winner Chris Froome, is Israeli-registered and controlled by Canadian-Israeli property billionaire Sylvan Adams

Originally founded as the Cycling Academy in 2014, the team has been supported by Canada-based company Premier Tech since 2022

Recent Events and Demonstrations

Throughout the 21-day Spanish tour, numerous demonstrations and interruptions took place, mainly targeting the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech

Midway during the competition, the squad ceased displaying their complete name on their jerseys

The final leg of the race around Madrid was cancelled following Palestinian-supporting protests that caused altercations with cyclists and obstructed the route in multiple places

Recent Changes

As part of the changes, team owner Sylvan Adams will withdraw from his day-to-day role and will no longer act on the squad's behalf

The sixty-six-year-old entrepreneur has been strongly linked with the Israeli administration and has previously described himself as a "unofficial ambassador to the nation"

Global Response

International cycling governing body the UCI has stated it will persist to accept Israel-based athletes at its competitions despite calls for sporting boycotts

After United Nations investigation conclusions that declared Israel has committed mass killing against Palestinian people in Gaza - a allegation that Israel denies - there have been growing demands for the country to be banned from global football tournaments

Background of Conflict

The Israeli military initiated a campaign in the Gaza Strip in reaction to the Hamas-organized assault on southern regions of Israel on October 7th 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 additional people were captured

Based on reports from the territory's Hamas-run health department, at least 67,139 individuals have been killed in Israeli military actions in Gaza since then

Perspective: Business Image Considerations

This decision represents a significant admission by the squad and its proprietor Sylvan Adams that the inclusion of Brand Israel is creating unease in places such as professional sport

Adams' involvement in Israeli politics is well known, though not formally designated

This team started largely thanks to the owner's enthusiasm for professional cycling, and conviction that the sport can unite societies more united in regions of the world away from its European heartland

Despite several major cycling tour stage wins, Israel-Premier Tech has found the pace hard going at points at the top tier, and is unable to risk to jeopardize sponsors such as Canadian agricultural chemical experts Premier Tech

As a billionaire businessman, Adams recognizes that corporate image is everything