Israel-Premier Tech will be referred to as ‘IPT’ on official race signage for this weekend’s WorldTour races in Québec City and Montréal, following a series of pro-Palestine protests at the Vuelta a España, which have resulted in stage finishes being scrapped and the peloton threatening to leave the race if their safety cannot be ensured.
The team requested the removal of ‘Israel’ from official race signage, including those used on team tents and cars, as well as registration and results sheets, at the events on Friday and Sunday, according to Joseph Limare, the general manager of the two Canadian WorldTour races, including Friday’s Québec GP, won by Julian Alaphilippe, and Sunday’s race in Montréal.
“They asked us to get rid of the word ‘Israel’ from what we could,” said Limare, following concerns that the pro-Palestine protests which have dominated the Vuelta will follow the squad to Canada.
However, a spokesperson for the team clarified to road.cc on Friday evening that it has not, despite “false” reports to the contrary, changed its name from Israel-Premier Tech to IPT for the races.
Instead, the squad requested that the acronym IPT be used on race signage, such as the team’s tent along the course, as a “security measure to detract attention”, a stance the race organisation then chose to “adopt more widely”.
The team also told road.cc that the kit used by the riders in Canada will be the same monogram version seen in recent days at the Vuelta, which does not include references to Israel.
“The team name remains Israel-Premier Tech,” the spokesperson told road.cc.
“However, the team simply requested that the Grands Prix Cyclistes race organisation use the team’s abbreviation IPT for race signage around the course and other branded material.”
The move comes after Québec City Mayor Bruno Marchand reassured riders taking part in tonight’s race that significant safety measures are in place, whilst reaffirming the right of protesters to demonstrate.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Marchand told the Globe and Mail: “There is still a celebration of cycling that we want to have and also allow people who want to protest to do so.”
Meanwhile, it was announced on Friday afternoon that members of the Montréal cycling community will hold a demonstration against IPT’s invitation to participate in Sunday’s race.
A group of cycling activists in the city, led by ‘Bikers4Palestine’, released a statement on Friday, declaring: “Cyclists in Montreal are outraged that IPT is still allowed a platform at the Grand Prix Cycliste.
“As protests continue to dog Israel Premier Tech throughout the Tour de France and most recently at La Vuelta in Spain, the cycling community of Montreal will keep up the pressure to respond to the global calls for solidarity from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign in Palestine.”
World champion Tajec Pogačar, who is seeking to defend his title in Montreal, admitted to reporters before Friday’s GP Québec that he was worried about the impact of future protests.
“I think all the riders are a little scared of what could happen,” the four-time Tour de France winner said.
“We don’t talk about it, especially as a peloton, but between teammates, yes. When we see what’s going on at the Vuelta, we talk about it and we think it could happen here or in other races between now and the end of the season.”
Visma-Lease a Bike rider Wout van Aert is also concerned about the pro-Palestine protests.
“At this point, a lot of riders are worried about these demonstrations but also about what is happening in the world,” the Belgian said.
“I am not really aware of what is going on here in Canada. I hope we will have a great race and a few hours of entertainment for everyone.”
Although Israel-Premier Tech does not have any formal ties with the government of Israel, Israeli-Canadian co-owner Sylvan Adams is an outspoken defender of it, proclaiming himself as a “self-appointed Ambassador-at-Large for the State of Israel”.
Bruce Katz, co-president of the Montréal-based Palestinian and Jewish Unity, accused Adams of “trying to soften the image of an apartheid state” ahead of this weekend’s races.
“We hope that things will not get out of hand, but it’s to be understood that there are very many people who are extremely upset,” Katz told the Globe and Mail.
References to ‘Israel’ were removed from Israel-Premier Tech’s kit for the final eight stages of the Vuelta, following a series pro-Palestine protests which have disrupted the Spanish grand tour on an almost daily basis.
However, like in Canada, the team name Israel-Premier Tech has continued to be used in Spain.
During the Vuelta, the leadership of the team has refused calls from Spanish politicians and others in the cycling world, worried about riders’ safety, to withdraw from the Spanish grand tour, claiming it would set a “dangerous precedent”.
Stage 18’s potentially race-deciding time trial was cut short by 15km to leave just a 12.2km route. It was reported that up to 300 uniformed and plain-clothed police officers and 150 security guards were deployed during the stage, with two protesters arrested.
Before stage 17, a vote involving members of each of the 23 participating teams decided that racing would be stopped completely if protesters disrupted the event, after the previous day’s finish line in Galicia was abruptly moved due to chaotic scenes on the final climb.
On stage 11 to Bilbao, no stage winner was awarded, and the GC times were taken 3km from the finish line, after several protesters tried to push barriers over at the official finish line.
The team’s buses and most of their off-bike merchandise has not carried the team name since last year.
9 thoughts on ““They asked us to get rid of the word Israel”: Israel-Premier Tech drop ‘Israel’ from official signage and kit at Canadian WorldTour races as “security measure to detract attention” after protest chaos at Vuelta”
With the removing of the word
With the removing of the word Israel pro-Palestine protesters won a courageous PR battle. They shall keep disrupting pro cycling races until Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE open their borders and welcome their brothers from Gaza.
Now this is how to heckle…
Now this is how to heckle…
Why should those countries be
Why should those countries be complicit in ethnic cleansing and genocide? And why are they ‘brothers’? Are we not their brothers too, are Palestinians no less human than us? Why do they have to be occupied for decades and to have their homes and land stolen and their children murdered?
Rome73 wrote:
Those countries (UAE and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) are complicit in ethnic cleansing and genocide. Some people choose to ignore that, others not.
Rome73 wrote:
Those countries (UAE and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) are complicit in ethnic cleansing and genocide. Some people choose to ignore that, others not.
So…all they’ve really done
So…all they’ve really done here is to come up with an Acronyn for “Israel Premier Tech”..?? An intelligence-insulting euphemism for exactly the same team with the same owner, background and Israeli money.
Tell me I’m not the only one thinking this.
Canadian money. The owner is
Canadian money. The owner is still disgusting though. The amount of money that came in previous seasons from the Israel tourist board was minuscule.
the little onion wrote:
Doesn’t really matter. The team was explicitly setup to promote the genocidal colonial-terrorist entity in occupied Palestine, by its genocide-supporting owner.
It is just a disgrace that
It is just a disgrace that people are trying to drag politics into the family of olympic sports – just ask any Russian. Disrupting races to protest the presence of the I.G. Farben – Third Reich team will not achieve anything for the unfortunate Jews in Germany.