Israel–Premier Tech (IPT) owner Sylvan Adams announced on Monday that he will step aside as the team undergoes a rebranding and identity overhaul following protests by pro-Hamas demonstrators in Europe.
In the two years since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, some protests have turned violent, endangering riders and staff. During the recent Vuelta a España grand tour, activists stormed the race route, directly threatening Israel–Premier Tech cyclists.
Despite disruptions, the team continued competing, with one rider—Matthew Riccitello—claiming the Best Young Rider jersey. However, escalating security concerns forced IPT to withdraw from several Italian races after organizers said they could no longer ensure safety.
The team initially removed “Israel” from its uniforms temporarily to reduce risk—a change that has now become permanent.
“As an Israeli whose heart and blood are blue and white, as an immigrant who made Israel my home, as a patriot and Zionist who proudly calls himself ‘Israel’s self-appointed ambassador,’ I cannot, at this moment, continue to take an active part in a team that no longer bears the name Israel. Therefore, I am stepping aside and suspending all active involvement with the team,” Adams said.
“I will instead devote myself even more deeply to my philanthropic activities in Israel and around the world. In my role as president of the World Jewish Congress in Israel, I will continue to fight to defend our right, as Jews, to live in peace, safety, and freedom from the wave of hatred, violence, and antisemitism that has surged since the tragic events of October 7,” he added.
Adams—named to the TIME100 Philanthropy List—has funded numerous projects in Israel, including a cutting-edge emergency medicine wing at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) and a new children’s hospital at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon. He often emphasized his pride in seeing Israel’s name displayed on the team’s uniforms.
Founded in 2014 as the Israel Cycling Academy, the country’s first professional cycling team, IPT gave young Israeli and international riders the opportunity to compete and progress on the global stage. Over the past decade, the team has achieved major victories, including stage wins in premier races such as the Tour de France, while proudly representing Israel around the world.
Israeli cyclists have played a key role in IPT’s success. Guy Sagiv became the first Israeli to race in a Grand Tour during the historic 2018 Giro d’Italia, which began in Jerusalem. Two years later, Guy Niv became the first Israeli to compete in the Tour de France.
Beyond its athletic achievements, IPT has promoted a social mission, using cycling as a tool for change. The team built the “Field of Dreams” cycling center in Rwanda and, in 2024, Adams invited two survivors of the Hamas massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri to the Tour de France opening in Florence. In 2025, freed hostage Ofer Kalderon joined the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris as Israel–Premier Tech’s special guest.
