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Throughout the recent Spanish cycling tour, the team experienced multiple disruptions as Palestinian-supporting protesters organized protests against Israel's war in Gaza

Team representatives characterized the recent period as "a particularly difficult period" but acknowledged "the need for transformation"

"Having strong commitment to our riders, team members, and valued partners, the choice has been made to rebrand and re-brand the team, shifting away from its current Israel-linked branding"

"Within sports, progress often demands sacrifice, and this measure is crucial to ensuring the long-term viability of the organization"

Squad History and Structure

The Israel-Premier Tech team, which features five UK cyclists among them four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, is registered in Israel and owned by Israeli-Canadian real estate tycoon Sylvan Adams

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

Recent Incidents and Demonstrations

During the three-week Vuelta, numerous protests and interruptions occurred, primarily targeting the participation of the cycling team

Halfway through the competition, the team stopped displaying their complete name on their jerseys

The final stage of the tour around the Spanish capital was cancelled following Palestinian-supporting protests that resulted in altercations with cyclists and obstructed the route in several places

Recent Changes

Within the restructuring, team proprietor Sylvan Adams will step back from his day-to-day responsibilities and will cease speak on the squad's representation

This sixty-six-year-old businessman has been strongly associated with Benjamin Netanyahu's government and has previously described himself as a "unofficial representative to the nation"

Global Response

World professional cycling regulatory body the UCI has declared it will persist to accept Israeli athletes at its events despite demands for athletic boycotts

After UN commission conclusions that stated Israel has committed mass killing against Palestinian people in Gaza - a allegation that Israel rejects - there have been increasing demands for the country to be suspended from international football competition

Context of Conflict

Israeli military initiated a operation in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern regions of the country on October 7th 2023, during which approximately 1,200 people were murdered and 251 additional people were captured

According to data from the territory's Hamas-controlled health ministry, at least 67,139 individuals have been killed in Israel's military actions in Gaza since that time

Analysis: Business Branding Considerations

The decision represents a major admission by the squad and its proprietor Sylvan Adams that the presence of Israeli branding is causing unease in places such as professional athletics

The owner's engagement in Israeli political affairs is widely recognized, although not formally assigned

The team began largely due to Adams' enthusiasm for cycling, and conviction that the sport can unite societies more together in regions of the globe away from its continental heartland

Regardless of some major cycling tour stage victories, Israel-Premier Tech has experienced the pace hard to maintain at times at the top level, and cannot risk to lose sponsors such as Canada's pesticide specialists Premier Tech

Being a multi-billionaire businessman, Adams recognizes that business image is everything