Article by David Istrate – published on Saturday, September 27, 2025, 22:29 / Updated on Saturday, September 27, 2025 22:30
The Israeli cycling team Israel-Premier Tech will not participate in this year's Giro Dell'Emilia edition, after the organizers had more discussions with the team leaders, explaining that they were pressured and that they were threatened with protests that could affect the good walking of the race.
In the middle of September, The last stage of the Spain Tour has ended prematurelyafter the pro-palestine protesters entered the circuit and blocked the normal race. The organizers of Giro Dell'emilia have been threatened that the same fate will have the race in Bologna, if the Israel-Premier Tech team will be among the participants.
In order to avoid the protests and ensure the race, the organizers negotiated the withdrawal of Israel-Premier Tech
Here is what Roberta Li Calzi said, local councilor in Bologna:
“We oppose the participation of a team from Israel in Giro Dell'emilia in a period like this, when the Israeli government commits serious crimes against the civilian population of Gaza. This is not an anti-sports position, but we cannot accept that a team associated with the same government to participate in a sporting event, which by its own nature represents diametrically opposed values. We ask organizers Giro Dell'emilia to exclude the Israel Premier Tech team, ”said Calzi, quoted by Gazzetta Dello Sport.
Initially, Adriano Amici, the owner of Giro Dell'emilia, tried to escape responsibility and throw it on the shoulders of the International Cycling Federation (UCI), but later held discussions with the leaders of the Israel-Premier Tech team and asked them to withdraw from the competition established in 1909.
After several negotiations, the Israelis agreed not to attend the Bologna race, understanding that the competition will be endangered because of the protests to take place.
“We believe that sport is a vehicle for the universal values of the correct competition and solidarity between people and we are pleased to find out that the organizers of the race share this vision, officially confirming today that the team in Israel will not participate in Giro Dell'emilia. I thank them for the sensitivity, which I think is shared by much of our community,” Israel-Premier Tech.
It remains, however, to see what the team leaders will decide to do in the following races in Italy: Trittico Lombardo, Gran Piedmonte and Giro Di Lombardia.
