"He kept his word on that, which is great for the riders" - Adam Hansen glad to see Sylvan Adams step away from Israel - Premier Tech

The news has come out, Israel - Premier Tech will not be racing under Israeli nationality or have its name in associated with the team from 2026 onwards. It seemed like the only logical and possible step for the team to be sustainable, with owner Sylvan Adams also stepping away from his role as the team's head. Adam Hansen, head of the riders' association CPA, shown himself quite glad that this was the decision taken.

This has come after a very tough two months for the team who were heavily pressured from within and outside the peloton to take action and be removed from the Vuelta a España. The Spanish Grand Tour underwent countless protests, which ultimately had many consequences including three stage neutralizations or outright cancelations, crashes and road blocks on many other days.

The pressure from team sponsors themselves made it clear that there was only one way the team could move forward, specially with a World Tour promotion on the table for this winter. After having been removed from several Italian classics over the past week, it became clear that this wouldn't be a temporary issue for the team, but a permanent one.

Adam Hansen spoke to BBC over the past few days and argued that the most efficient way for the protests to end would be to cut or outright not have TV broadcasts so as to not give protestors a platform, however this would be the alternative in case the team maintained its Israeli identity into 2026. This is not the case.

"⁠I personally spoke to Sylvan Adams at Rwanda. We spoke about everything that happened at the Vuelta and upcoming races," Hansen revealed to Cyclingnews. "He said it was not fair what the riders went through at the Vuelta and that he would do everything possible to make sure the riders can compete without being affected. So after reading the news [about the changes in 2026], he kept his word on that, which is great for the riders. They are there to do their job and race. So from the CPA standpoint, we are glad".

It is not yet fully known what the team's name will be in 2026 and how much will change within the structure, but most likely the riders and staff will not be under the pressure and criticism that they faced as of late, which is ultimately the priority for Hansen who is their main representative. "I just believe he did what he thought was the best thing for his team, and I appreciate that."