“I don’t like being attacked” - IPT boss Sylvan Adams responds as sponsors threaten to pull out if 'Israel' isn't removed from team branding

Sylvan Adams has found himself at the centre of renewed controversy surrounding his Israel - Premier Tech team, with the co-owner facing fresh questions over its future branding after key sponsors publicly signalled their disquiet.

Speaking at the inauguration of a BMX facility in Bugesera, Rwanda – co-funded by Adams during the 2025 World Championships week – the Canadian-Israeli businessman was pressed by Het Nieuwsblad about calls from partners Premier Tech and Factor for a change in the team’s identity. Both companies have suggested that continuing with the current name is “no longer viable” in the wake of political backlash.

“The team has issued a statement, which speaks for itself. I can’t add anything to it,” Adams said, declining to expand on the matter. Asked about the escalating protests against the squad’s participation in races, he bristled: “I don’t like being attacked.”

The pressure has intensified following the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, where pro-Palestine activists staged repeated demonstrations targeting Israel-Premier Tech. Several stages were disrupted, while the final day in Madrid was cancelled altogether after organisers deemed the situation untenable. The repeated flashpoints placed the team firmly at the centre of one of the most politically charged editions of a Grand Tour in recent memory.

Since then, municipalities and race organisers across Europe have raised concerns. Gran Canaria warned it would withdraw from hosting the 2026 Vuelta if the team were present, and Barcelona’s city council – which will stage the 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ – has also urged for their exclusion.

Against this backdrop, Premier Tech and bike supplier Factor have made clear that their continued involvement hinges on a rebrand. In a statement earlier this week, Premier Tech said that the “current team name is no longer viable for achieving our goals.” Factor echoed that sentiment, telling Cycling News that sponsorship would become “untenable” without change.

An Israel-Premier Tech spokesperson confirmed to Radio Canada that discussions are underway regarding the team’s “identity and branding,” though no decision has yet been made.

At the Bugesera launch, Adams steered away from the sponsorship issue, instead drawing parallels between Rwanda and Israel. “We both lived through genocide, a word that was unfortunately invented after the Shoah,” he said. When questioned about the United Nations’ description of events in Gaza as genocide, he paused before citing population statistics: “In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded, there were 60,000 Arabs in Gaza. Today there are 1.8 million. The Jewish population hasn’t yet returned to its 1938 level. The numbers speak for themselves.”

According to Het Nieuwsblad, his communications staff were visibly uncomfortable with those remarks, with Adams later overheard voicing frustration at the line of questioning.

For Israel - Premier Tech, the combination of sponsor unease, political opposition, and race disruption has placed the team in uncharted territory. Adams may dismiss criticism as “attacks,” but unless a resolution is found over the branding issue, the squad’s place in the World Tour calendar looks increasingly precarious.