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Throughout last month's Spanish cycling tour, the team faced several interruptions as pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged protests regarding Israel's war in Gaza

Squad representatives characterized the past few months as "a particularly difficult period" but acknowledged "the need for transformation"

"With strong commitment to our riders, team members, and important partners, the choice has been made to rename and restructure the team, moving away from its current Israel-linked branding"

"In sport, progress often demands sacrifice, and this measure is essential to securing the long-term viability of the organization"

Squad Background and Structure

The Israel-Premier Tech team, which features five UK riders among them four-time French cycling tour winner Chris Froome, is registered in Israel and controlled by Israeli-Canadian real estate billionaire Sylvan Adams

Initially founded as the Cycling Academy in 2014, the team has been sponsored by Canadian company Premier Tech since 2022

Recent Events and Protests

Throughout the 21-day Vuelta, multiple demonstrations and disruptions took place, primarily focusing on the involvement of the cycling team

Halfway during the competition, the team stopped using their full team name on their jerseys

The last leg of the race around Madrid was cancelled following pro-Palestinian demonstrations that resulted in altercations with riders and blocked the course in several places

Recent Changes

As part of the changes, squad owner Sylvan Adams will step back from his daily responsibilities and will no longer speak on the squad's behalf

The sixty-six-year-old businessman has been strongly associated with Benjamin Netanyahu's administration and has previously described himself as a "self-appointed representative to Israel"

Global Reaction

World cycling regulatory body the UCI has stated it will continue to welcome Israel-based competitors at its events despite demands for athletic sanctions

After United Nations investigation findings that declared the nation has committed mass killing against Palestinian people in Gaza - a claim that Israel denies - there have been increasing demands for the nation to be suspended from international football tournaments

Context of Conflict

The Israeli military initiated a campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas-organized attack on southern the country on October 7th 2023, during which about 1,200 people were murdered and 251 others were taken hostage

Based on data from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, at least 67,139 people have been killed in Israeli military actions in Gaza since that time

Analysis: Business Branding Considerations

The decision represents a major admission by the squad and its owner Sylvan Adams that the presence of Brand Israel is creating unease in places such as elite athletics

The owner's involvement in Israeli political affairs is well known, although not formally assigned

This team started largely thanks to Adams' passion for cycling, and conviction that the activity can unite societies closer together in parts of the globe away from its European heartland

Regardless of some major cycling tour leg victories, the team has found the competition level hard to maintain at points at the elite level, and is unable to risk to jeopardize financial backers such as Canada's pesticide experts Premier Tech

Being a billionaire businessman, Adams recognizes that corporate brand reputation is everything