The Israel-Premier Tech cycling team has been barred from competing in next week’s Giro dell’Emilia due to public safety concerns, race organisers confirmed on Sunday.
Riley Pickrell of the Israel-Premier Tech team © X
The Israel-Premier Tech cycling team has been barred from competing in next week’s Giro dell’Emilia due to public safety concerns, race organisers confirmed on Sunday.
The decision follows repeated disruptions by pro-Palestinian protesters during the recent Vuelta a España, where the Israeli team was the main focus of demonstrations. With the October 4 race finishing in central Bologna, organisers feared protests could escalate at the final circuit.
“It is with regret that, following recent events and given the characteristics of the final circuit, for the safety of all athletes, technical staff, and spectators, I have had to forgo the participation of the Team this year,” race organiser Adriano Amici told Reuters.
Earlier this week, protests in Milan during a nationwide strike turned violent, adding to organisers’ concerns.
In a statement, Israel-Premier Tech said: “We find it extremely regrettable that threats of violence have disrupted our sport. We wish the organisers a successful race.”
The team confirmed it had been in talks with organisers in recent days and acknowledged that security was the decisive factor.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) reiterated Friday that it would continue to welcome Israeli athletes, rejecting calls for sporting boycotts.
Broader sporting and political tensions
The exclusion comes amid heightened global scrutiny of Israel. A UN Commission of Inquiry recently accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel rejects while defending its military actions as legitimate self-defence following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken.
Israel-Premier Tech, which removed its name from riders’ jerseys during the Vuelta, is also reviewing its branding strategy for 2025 under sponsor pressure.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chaired a high-level meeting Tuesday with Army Commander General Rudolf Hage and members of the advisory team accompanying Lebanon's delegation to the Washington negotiations, as the fifth round of Lebanese-American-Israeli talks enters what he described as a potentially decisive phase.
Lebanon and Israel began a new round of talks on Tuesday in Washington, with Beirut determined to press ahead with direct negotiations even as they appear to be overshadowed by Iran's decision to make Lebanon part of its talks with the U.S.
Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared this week that the United States and Iran would jointly "guarantee Lebanon's unity and the integrity of its territories."
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