Sawt Falasteen - Israel-Premier Tech modify kit after Vuelta protests

The three week grand tour has been hit by protests, with organisers pressuring Israel-Premier Tech to pull out for safety reasons, which they refused to do.

Instead the team, owned by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, modified their kit to retain only the team's logo.

"In the interest of prioritising the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, in light of the dangerous nature of some protests at the Vuelta, Israel–Premier Tech has issued riders with team monogram-branded kit for the remainder of the race," said the team on social media network X.

"The team name remains Israel–Premier Tech but the monogram kit now aligns with the branding decisions we have previously adopted for our vehicles and casual clothing."

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the Israel-Premier Tech team for continuing to compete, despite the protests.

It is a private outfit and not a state team. The team has long asked its riders not to wear jerseys bearing the word "Israel" when training to avoid being targeted.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive in October 2023 in retaliation for an unprecedented cross-border attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Israel's bombardment has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations says are reliable.

There were some protests during the neutralised start of Saturday's stage 14 in Aviles, following a brief disruption to Friday's race as protesters stopped the leaders.

Earlier in the race Israel-Premier Tech riders were delayed by protesters during the team time trial in stage five, while the 11th stage of the race was cut short because of vehement protest at the finish line in Bilbao.

T.Khatib--SF-PST