Pro-Palestinian protests disrupt cycling races across Europe and North America

Demonstrations against Team Israel-Premier Tech in cycling races have become common as people around the world reject Israel’s public relations attempts to smooth over genocide. 

The most disruptive demonstration occurred on Sept. 14 at La Vuelta a España in Madrid, Spain. The final stage of the 21-stage grand tour was set to finish with laps around a finishing circuit in Madrid, but over 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters flooded the streets and broke through barriers, causing the race to be suspended approximately 56 kilometers from the finish with no stage winner. 

Demonstrators used the opportunity to call for a free Palestine, an end to U.S.-Israeli genocide, and for Israel-Premier Tech to be removed from all races. This was the culmination of widespread disruptions throughout the race, with seven of the final 11 stages being interrupted or altered due to protests targeting the Israeli-owned team’s participation.

Israel-Premier Tech, a UCI ProTeam, is registered as based in Israel and is owned by a pair of billionaires: Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli, and Ronald Baron, an American-Israeli.

The demonstrations against this team are justified not only by the fact that the team rides under the flag of genocide as an Israeli-based team, but by the comments made by Sylvan Adams and Benjamin Netanyahu, which irrevocably tie the team to apartheid. 

Sylvan Adams has described the cyclists on the team as ambassadors for Israel. The connection between Israel-Premier Tech and Israeli politics was made abundantly clear to the world when Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a social media post: “Great job to Sylvan and Israel’s cycling team for not giving in to hate and intimidation. You make Israel Proud!” on Sept. 5 in response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations against the team in Spain. 

The connection between team Israel-Premier Tech has caused cycling fans and activists to use their voices to call for a free Palestine and for the “sportswashing” of Israel’s genocide to cease. 

The final stage of this year’s La Vuelta was not the only stage that anti-apartheid activists disrupted. Protesters briefly slowed down the Israel-Premier Tech team on stage 5 during a team time trial, an event that allowed protesters to impact only the Israeli team. Stage 11 was neutralized with 3km to go as protesters gathered at the finish line, ending the stage prematurely without a winner. The race organizers also decided to stop the race on stage 16 with 8km to go due to demonstrations at the finishing line. 

The demonstrations at the race, including the neutralization of the final stage, have gained media attention around the world. This attention prompted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call for Israel to be barred from international sporting events. Banning of Israeli teams like Israel-Premier Tech would be similar to previous actions taken against other nations in conflict by the governing body of cycling, the International Cycling Union (UCI). 

Just days after Russian troops arrived in Ukraine in 2022, after eight years of NATO provocation in the Donbass, the UCI took immediate action against Russia. The UCI banned all Russian and Belarusian teams, revoked their team UCI licences, and banned the Russian and Belarusian country names, flags, anthems, and acronyms from all events. The UCI has the power to do the same by banning Israel, but refuses to do so. Basque professional cyclist, Pello Bilbao, has called the UCI’s hypocrisy. 

Demonstrations against Israel Premier-Tech have not been limited to Spain, a region with a history of political demonstrations intertwined with cycling. The roads along the Giro d’Italia, the grand tour of Italy, were lined with Palestinian flags and had the words “Free Gaza” written on the roads of the most famous climbs in cycling. 

A demonstrator wearing a shirt stating, “Israel out of the Tour,” disrupted stage 11 of the Tour de France. 

Recently, protesters called for the removal of Israel-Premier Tech from the Gran Prix Cycliste de Montréal and the Gran Prix Cycliste de Québec on Sept. 12 and Sept. 14. 

Activists with the Peoples Power Assembly in Baltimore joined the growing movement of protests against Israel-Premier Tech participating in cycling races by disrupting the team presentation of the Maryland Cycling Classic on Sept. 5, making it clear that genocide complicity is not welcome in cycling. 

The demonstrators in Baltimore were met with spectators saying that the team has nothing to do with politics. However, the team, and its ownership, are connected to politics and the genocide Israel is committing in Palestine. 

Activists will continue to pressure the UCI and race organizers to ban Israel Premier-Tech from races. O Gran Camiño, a UCI Europe Tour race in Galicia, Spain, is the first race to state that it will not be inviting Israel Premier-Tech to the race in 2024, indicating that public pressure to ban Israeli teams in support of Palestine is effective. 

As the U.S.-Israel genocide enters a critical phase in Gaza, these demonstrations of solidarity and resistance are more important than ever. The world must continue to make clear that genocide will not be welcome at international sporting events, or anywhere else. Free Free Palestine!