"If I lose, I am going to take them to court" - Israel - Premier Tech owner threatens UCI over possible relegation

The battle for the positions at World Tour level is increasingly bigger, and the stakes are very high for some teams. Israel - Premier Tech face almost certain relegation at this point, and team owner Sylvan Adams is looking to persuade the UCI to change the rules with urgency.

“Who is hurt by this idea of going to 20 teams? Nobody,” Adams told Velonews and CyclingNews. “Relegation is death. It doesn’t matter which of the two teams end up being relegated. It’s an existential problem. Why are we destroying rather than building? It’s as simple as that. I hope that common sense prevails.”

Over the last week rumours emerged of a possible expansion of the World Tour division from 18 to 20 teams, so as to allow Alpecin-Deceuninck and Arkéa Samsic to promote whilst keeping all current teams. Losses in exposure, sponsorship and riders are some of the concerns presented by the teams involved in the battle, who in the last few months have done several changes to calendar - and other decisions such as prevent riders from riding World Championships - so as to assure their maintenance. According to the last update, Israel sit almost 1500 points behind Cofidis, and are in 20th place at the rankings with almost no time to close the gap.

“To threaten our team and the other teams with this relegation, it’s just so harmful, and I don’t see the purpose of it,” he continued, showing support to the 20-team rumour that has since been denied by the UCI. “I don’t see what’s to be gained. We have 20, maybe 21 teams who have the budget to be WorldTour. Other sports encourage expansion. This is destructive.” Several other riders and managers across the peloton have been critic of the current situation in which teams find themselves.

“I am still hopeful that we will still end up on the right side of relegation, although it’s looking worse and worse. Even if we did [maintain], I don’t want to see those other teams disappear. I don’t want to see the end of Movistar, EF, or Bike Exchange. Why? And if I lose, I am going to take them to court,” he stated. “If I lose my sponsors and it costs me millions, somebody has to make me whole. If I show that they do not apply the rules consistently, I think I have a very good case.”

With certain relegation on the way, this becomes an increasingly complicated case for the team. Adams assures: “I’m an optimist. There’s no trouble that’s worse than relegation. Relegation is destruction. There is a simple solution, and it doesn’t hurt anybody. It’s an elegant way out of this mess. This is a very elegant solution; expand to 20 teams, and nobody loses.”