"Protesters should have the platform taken away from them" - Adam Hansen believes there is another answer to cycling's Anti-Israel protests

Israel - Premier Tech are in an incredibly hard position currently in pro cycling, with a move to the World Tour on its way, but an existential crisis simultaneously. At the Vuelta a España a precedent was opened and protests became efficient at blocking the races and bringing consequences to the team directly, but at a heavy cost for organizers and fans. Adam Hansen, president of the CPA, has argued there is a solution besides the removal of the team's sponsor and nationality.

"If we had cancelled La Vuelta on a Friday and the last three days were not shot, the protesters would not have had their platform," the former pro rider shared in words to BBC. "By trying every day, we showed there was a platform. Cancelling would have shown them there's no point in coming to bike races because we turned the TV off". 

Hansen believes that without the TV broadcast that showcases the races to hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people depending on the event, there would simply be much less or no motivation to hold the protests. They would not have a platform, they would not be shown on TV and there would be less chances of wild incidents taking place as was the case at the Vuelta.

"Yes, it's a huge deal for Unipublic (who organize La Vuelta, ed.) to do something like that. But we have to make a small sacrifice today for the long-term future of cycling. Protesters should have the platform taken away from them; if they have no platform, they won't go to a race".

With the Giro dell'Emilia and several other Italian classics on the horizon, there were again looming threats of race blocking and protests against the Israeli team. However because they were not World Tour events, there was more leverage for its removal from the startlist.

However that is not the case at Il Lombardia, where the same could happen. Although it is a bold decision, Hansen's argument could be that of potentially cutting TV broadcast of the race if there is the knowledge that there will be protests - or in some way shape or form, not allow them to have the TV time.

"We saw that in Madrid, protesters had two hours of live TV, which became just about protesting and not the race. I'm not against protesting, but putting riders in danger is the last thing we want."