The Israel team will have to change their name or sponsors

If a few days ago it was the bike brand Factor that gave an ultimatum to the owner of the Israel-Premier Tech team, now it is the latter, one of the main sponsors of the team, who has shown clear opposition to continue sharing the jersey with Israel, asking the team to adopt a new identity and brand image.

Sponsors rebel against Israel-Premier Tech

After Factor's announcement regarding the continuity as bike suppliers for the Israel-Premier Tech team, now the Canadian agriculture and irrigation solutions company has shown its opposition to continue sharing sponsorship with Israel through a statement.

Premier Tech, which has been involved in cycling for over 30 years with various sponsorships of Canadian teams, states emphatically "the current situation regarding the team name is no longer sustainable to achieve our goal, which is the very reason for our participation in cycling", an aspect they have communicated directly to team owner Sylvain Adams.

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Meanwhile, the Israeli team simply states that they are in the planning phase for 2026 and that any changes in the structure will be communicated in due time.

Following the ultimatum issued by Factor and Premier Tech, it is curious, although not surprising, given the significant Jewish community in France, that the French brand Ekoi, which provides the team's clothing, glasses, and helmets, maintains its commitment. "At Ekoi, we are driven by passion for the teams we sponsor. Leaving them at a time like this would be an act of cowardice," commented the brand's founder Jean Christophe Rattel, while explaining that the change of clothing they made in La Vuelta was solely for safety reasons.

Rattel justified his position with the argument "This is an international team, with riders from many different countries, led by a manager I have known for years. I also have personal connections with several of the riders, and leaving now, simply because of the geopolitical situation, would be like betraying them."

In any case, Israel-Premier Tech is not in a comfortable position at the moment of the year when everything related to the 2026 season should be finalized, after the end of the 3-year period of World Tour licenses, which should be a moment of celebration for them after regaining their place in the top category.