Calls are mounting in Barcelona to block Israel-Premier Tech from taking part in the 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ, as fallout continues from the protests that disrupted the end of this year’s Vuelta a España in Madrid.

Barcelona is set to host the Tour’s opening stages on July 4, 2026. City sports councillor David Escudé said officials are already examining ways to avoid a repeat of the chaos that marred La Vuelta’s finale — and that for him, that includes keeping Israeli-flagged teams out.

On the Tour de France

“We want the teams that compete under the Israeli flag, in the same way that has happened with Russia, to stop competing with this flag,” Escudé said Tuesday on Betevé’s Bon dia. “This is not only about cycling. There must be restrictions on all international events for teams that participate with the Israeli flag. Sport cannot be used to whitewash what is happening.”

Vuelta’s best young rider to leave Israel-Premier Tech in 2026

Escudé also called on the International Olympic Committee and other sports governing bodies “not to look the other way.”

It should be noted that Israel – Premier Tech is not actually sponsored or aligned with the State of Israel. There are 32 riders on the team and there are only three Israeli riders. The majority are Canadian, American, European or New Zealanders. It is however, co-owned by Israeli-Canadian Sylvan Adams.

And the UCI

The latest development comes from a statement by officials in Gran Canaria, who have said they will refuse to host the Vuelta’s 2026 finish if Israel-Premier Tech is involved. It also aligns with the position of the left-wing municipal group Barcelona en Comú. Its leader, Janet Sanz, said Tuesday, “We cannot allow the team of a genocidal state to walk through Barcelona. Neither sport nor life is neutral.”

Any ban would face an immediate obstacle: the UCI controls which teams may compete in sanctioned events, not host cities or race organizers. It mirrors a similar incident in Canada when groups urged Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante to bar the squad — an action likely beyond her authority. The UCI has not commented on the statement as of Tuesday.

The final stage of the Spanish Grand Tour was cancelled, along with the podium ceremonies, so riders organized their own celebration in a hotel parking lot to mark their once-in-a-lifetime achievement.