Vuelta a España dilemma: Weighing the pros and cons of excluding Israel–Premier Tech

Cycling and many other sports worldwide claim to be neutral, stating that politics should be kept out of them and that they should be purely about performance. A noble goal, but when the world is on fire, it is a utopia. Emotions are running high, and Kiko Garcia, technical director of the Vuelta, said on Wednesday evening after stage 11 what many other cycling fans were thinking: Shouldn't Israel-Premier Tech be banned from the Vuelta, or should they leave on their own accord? It is clear that Israel's presence is fueling the protests, and as long as they are there, they will not stop.

“We cannot accept it, but temporarily and with everyone's safety taking priority over this solution, as we understand it, it would be this: that the Israeli team itself realizes that by being here, it is not promoting everyone's safety,” Garcia said. And perhaps the Spaniard is right. If Israel is removed from the race as its namesake, you might remove the sting from the motivation of many protesters. People who believe that a country under tremendous pressure due to the current situation in Gaza should not participate in major sporting events.

If that is indeed the motivation, the protests might stop. And then, as Garcia says, safety could be guaranteed for the rest of the Vuelta. Then Tom Pidcock might have been able to ride to the finish on Wednesday and turn the race upside down, and riders would not have to fear large banners, flags, or even people looming around every corner. If that is indeed the main and only motive, it could help the sport, which, according to the UCI, should be the priority.

Another frequently cited argument for excluding Israel-Premier Tech, and in particular its main sponsor, concerns the measures taken against Russia and its athletes in recent years. Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, and this was felt in the world of sports. Virtually all sports federations and organizations took measures against the country, particularly against athletes who wanted to compete under the Russian flag in their sport. This began with exclusion, including Gazprom-Rusvelo, which the UCI disbanded due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia had already been under scrutiny for years due to large-scale doping practices, and in recent years, the country has remained a rejected guest in the world of sport. Nevertheless, a solution was sought for Russian athletes, who, of course, often had nothing to do with the decisions of the country where they were born. As a result, many sports organizations decided to allow athletes to compete under a neutral flag. Russia remained and remains excluded from, among other things, the 2024 Olympic Games and the 2026 World Cup, but athletes (including cyclists) were and are allowed to compete again without a flag.

Excluding Israel from the Vuelta seems, on paper, to be a measure that was taken against Russia for similar reasons. Excluding Israeli athletes or riders from an Israeli team does not feel right ( more about this later). Still, many people think that it is becoming a similar situation to a few years ago. Should Israeli athletes also compete under a neutral flag in their sport? Or are Israel's actions in Gaza different from those of Russia in Ukraine? Opinions are very divided on this, unlike in 2022, when Russia was designated as the sole aggressor.

This brings us to the cons of excluding Israel-Premier Tech from the Vuelta and Israel as a country from cycling. Cons that Russian athletes and sports teams already experienced in 2022 and in the years that followed. To what extent can an athlete influence a situation outside their control? Can Israel-Premier Tech leader Matthew Riccitello do anything about the situation in the Gaza Strip? No, of course not. It is for the same reason that journalists rarely ask athletes what they think about competitions. Because the issue is loaded, and because it is not their struggle.

Of course, you may wonder whether the riders, whom Israel pays, do not have a particular responsibility. Recently, the retiring Jakob Fuglsang said, not without reason, that he is glad that after his retirement, he will no longer be associated with Israel. Many other riders in the team will feel the same, if only because of the constant threat surrounding the team. All year round, riders are escorted to the bus under heavy security. The name of Israel was removed from the bus long ago, out of fear of protests and more.

This has already led to a small measure being taken out of necessity, namely, continuing to race under a neutral flag. Because, as mentioned above, is it okay to throw Riccitello and his colleagues out of the Vuelta because of a name on their shirts? Should athletes lose their jobs because of the situation created by their main sponsor? In addition to being excluded from the Vuelta, this could also have significant consequences for the team's future. That will be of little concern to many people who are against Israel, but organizations that have to make such decisions are likely to think about it.

The call for safety in the peloton is logical, but emotions are clearly running too high to allow for a peaceful protest. The whole world is watching riders having to cycle under banners or dodge people on the road. These are not pleasant images, and although the UCI pointed out in a statement that cycling is a politically neutral sport, that is, of course, a utopia in a world that is on fire. People have opinions, and cycling, as a sport on public roads, is an excellent place to express them.

In a soccer stadium, a banner can be refused because everyone must go through a gate to enter. Along the side of the road, everyone is free to do as they please. That is the charm of cycling, but in situations like this, it is also the danger. And that is precisely why cycling seems to be at odds with any measures that may be taken. Although the safety of this Vuelta may be guaranteed by taking the sting out of it and excluding Israel (Premier Tech), where will it stop?

Of course, the Gaza situation has been heavily debated, but if people with different opinions on specific issues see that a protest against Israel is successful through exclusion, who is to say that tomorrow a group of people will not take to the road to protest against the same or even other issues? There are numerous questionable sponsors in the world of sports, and on public roads, anyone is free to engage in the most outrageous antics to protest against anything and everything. Israel-Premier Tech therefore called exclusion “a dangerous signal” in what will remain an unprecedented dilemma for the time being and in the foreseeable future.

Bram van der Ploeg ( Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])