The Spanish return cycling team changes uniform after pro-palestinian protests

A cycling team in the Spanish return is traveling with new uniforms without the name of the team after they were repeatedly attacked. Pro-Palestinian protests During the race.

Israel Premier Tech gave its cyclists the new uniforms before stage 14 on Saturday in a difficult week for the team. He faced the protests before and during the career days, as well as the pressure of the Spanish race officials and the authorities.

The team said the decision was “in the interest of prioritizing the safety of our runners and the entire platoon, in the light of the dangerous nature of some protests in return.”

Its blue uniforms, which will be used for the last week of the race, now only have a great P and a star. The “monogram kit is now aligned with the brand decisions that we have previously adopted for our vehicles and casual clothing,” he said.

The return is one of the prestigious cycling tours, along with the Tour de France and turn of Italy. The team has seen similar protests in other races, even in Italy and the United Kingdom.

The participation of Israel Premier Tech in the race has faced protests this week, the greatest of which forced the organizers of the race to shorten the arrival of Wednesday in the city of Bilbao.

On Friday, the Spanish police arrested 12 people who invaded the course with a pro-palestine flag and prevented the main riders until the police withdrew them.

The Spaniards greatly sympathize with the Palestinian cause. The Government of Spain is also very critical of Israel’s Military Invasion in Gazawho has killed tens of thousands of civilians in retaliation for Hamas attacks in October 2023. In May, the Spanish government, together with those of Ireland and Norway, announced It would be to recognize a Palestinian state. It was a movement that took the conviction of Israel and the joy of the Palestinians.

Israel Premier Tech has said that abandoning the race “would establish a dangerous precedent.” Only one of the team’s runners is Israeli.

The American Matthew Riccitello is the best positioned pilot of the team. It was seventh in general after 13 stages more than 4 minutes behind the leader of the race, Jonas Vingegaard.

The return condemned Bilbao’s protest, but its technical director, Kiko García, urged Israel Premier Tech to leave or for the ICU, the governing body of cycling, to intervene, because there was a risk of more protests if he kept running. UCI has also condemned the protest in Bilbao.

On Thursday, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that “he would understand and be in favor” that the team is retired from the race, while adding his government does not have the power to do so.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed his support for the team, owned by the Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, saying that he made “Israel proud.”

• Israel
• Spain