After Premier Tech’s exit, team has not yet found a replacement: “Not done in consultation with the team”

After Israel–Premier Tech decided to drop the Israeli identity from 2026 onwards, co‑title sponsor Premier Tech dropped a bomb by announcing it would step away from the cycling team. That leaves the squad in a bind for now: how widely was this known — and what does it mean for the team’s future?

The decision from Premier Tech follows months of protests around the team, notably during the Vuelta a España. Demonstrators argued the team had no place in the sport, claiming it “whitewashed” the war in Gaza. In response, the organisation chose to distance itself from Israeli branding — but the co‑sponsor still opted to abandon ship.

According to Premier Tech, the brand damage has become too great. “Although we took notice of the team’s decision to change its name for the coming season, the core reason for Premier Tech to sponsor the team has been overshadowed to such an extent that it has become untenable for us to fulfil our role,” read a press statement.

It came as a sudden blow, but leaked emails - discovered by Daniel Benson - from general manager Kjell Carlström to riders and staff suggest the team itself hadn’t been informed ahead of time. “Today, Premier Tech announced their intention to step down as co-title sponsor in 2026. This announcement was not made in consultation with the team which is why we were not in a position to inform internally prior to the announcement."

It won’t have come entirely out of the blue, but the timing was not agreed within the team. Carlström regrets that, but remains upbeat. Work is ongoing to find a replacement. “We have many ongoing and exciting conversations with potential partners and we expect to be able to update you all in the coming week.”

So — hopefully — little will change for riders and staff. "Please note, this news, although disappointing and something we will continue to work through, does not change our approach to the 2026 season. We are as motivated as ever to hit the ground running and I look forward to seeing you all at camp in two weeks’ time."