BARCELONA (AP) — The Israel-Premier Tech cycling team has found a new name and will race as the NSN Cycling Team from next year onward.
The team had said last month it would rebrand and move away from its Israeli identity after being repeatedly targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters during the Spanish Vuelta and later excluded from a race in Italy. It will now move to Spain after international sports and entertainment company NSN (Never Say Never) said it was taking over the team structure alongside Swiss-based global investment platform Stoneweg. The team will be based in Barcelona and Girona, which is a popular hub for professional cyclists.
NSN was co-founded by soccer great Andres Iniesta, who played nearly 700 games for Barcelona and 131 times for Spain, leading it to the World Cup title in 2010.
“This new era marks a significant milestone in the growth of the team and an opportunity to join forces with organizations united by shared values of ambition, excellence, and the drive to inspire through sport,” NSN said in a statement.
Kjell Carlström is staying on as the cycling team's general manager.
“We are proud to welcome NSN and Stoneweg to the team and announce our new name and identity,” Carlström said.
During the Spanish Vuelta cycling race earlier this year, several stages were disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters objecting to the participation of the Israel Premier Tech team. Spain's government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage.
Premier Tech is a multinational company based in Quebec, Canada. It is the title sponsor of the cycling team co-owned by Israeli Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams.
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AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling