{"id":142059,"date":"2025-09-16T21:58:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T21:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/142059\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T21:58:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T21:58:10","slug":"former-uci-president-brian-cookson-calls-for-ban-on-nation-states-in-cycling-team-names-as-tour-de-france-barcelona-start-in-doubt-over-israel-premier-tech-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/142059\/","title":{"rendered":"Former UCI president Brian Cookson calls for ban on nation states in cycling team names \u2013 as Tour de France Barcelona start in doubt over Israel-Premier Tech protests"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ex-UCI president Brian Cookson has suggested that cycling\u2019s governing body should introduce a new rule banning professional teams from featuring nation states in their names, in an attempt to quell the anti-Israel protests<\/a> which marred this month\u2019s Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

According to Cookson, a former president of British Cycling who served as UCI head between 2013 and 2017, a ban on nations serving as de-facto title sponsors would act as a \u201cquick, partial, and undoubtedly imperfect\u201d way of tackling the \u201cexistential threat\u201d of protests at races.<\/p>\n

The suggested rule change, if implemented, would affect WorldTour squads UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain-Victorious, as well as Israel-Premier Tech, the target of the pro-Palestine demonstrations at the Vuelta which saw activists run onto the road<\/a>, roads blocked<\/a>, clashes between police and protesters<\/a>, and stages finishes abruptly cancelled<\/a>, including on the final day in Madrid, where several mass protests spilled over into street violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Pro-PalestinePro-Palestine protests in Madrid, 2025 Vuelta (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n

While anti-Israel protests have also taken place at this year\u2019s Tour de France<\/a> and Giro d\u2019Italia<\/a>, the scale, frequency, and chaos of the demonstrations at the Vuelta have raised doubts about Barcelona\u2019s ability to host the Grand D\u00e9part of the 2026 Tour de France, especially if Israel-Premier Tech are present.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, AS reported<\/a> that Barcelona City Council has confirmed that it has no plans to cancel next year\u2019s Tour start, though the local authority has made it clear that the Catalan city aims to host the race without a team bearing Israel\u2019s name or flag.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want the teams competing under the Israeli flag, in the same way as has happened with Russia, to stop competing under this flag,\u201d sports councillor David Escud\u00e9 said today.<\/p>\n

>\u00a0\u201cThey asked us to get rid of the word Israel\u201d: Israel-Premier Tech drop \u2018Israel\u2019 from official signage and kit at Canadian WorldTour races as \u201csecurity measure to detract attention\u201d after protest chaos at Vuelta<\/a><\/p>\n

This suggestion has been echoed by former UCI president Cookson, who told road.cc this week that a new rule concerning the relationship between nations states and cycling teams \u2013 as well as increased security at races \u2013 would be instrumental in preventing further protests in the short term.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis specific situation regarding Israel and Palestine is obviously a huge geopolitical issue, with roots that go back many, many years, that can ultimately only be resolved at the governmental level,\u201d Cookson, who preceded current UCI president David Lappartient, tells road.cc, reflecting on the protests at the Vuelta.<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly public feeling around the world is very strong and its growth has outpaced the speed at which the governments of the most influential nations have seen fit to act.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving aside the specifics of the conflict, for right or wrong, when this happens, people understandably seek to express their dissatisfaction and disgust in whatever ways they can.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sporting events, especially bike races on public roads in largely open environments, are one of the easiest targets. As many have pointed out, this is not a new phenomenon as such. In fact, demonstrations and disruptions have often targeted bike races over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe difference here is perhaps mainly the scale of the disruptions. That and the strength of feeling, the moral outrage of the protesters, and the focus on one particular team\u2019s sponsor, which thereby links inextricably to the whole event and all the other participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo repeat, this cannot be resolved until the geopolitical situation is itself resolved. And that cannot happen until the world\u2019s most influential governments use their power and influence to get it resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrianBrian Cookson at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle (credit: UCI)<\/p>\n

According to Cookson, while they may have no say when it comes to Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza, cycling\u2019s stakeholders can act to ensure protests do not disrupt races or, as seen on a number of occasions at this year\u2019s Vuelta, potentially put the peloton in danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can the world of cycling do to stop, or at least reduce, what could easily become an existential threat to our sport?\u201d Cookson asks. \u201cMore barriers, more security, better crowd control \u2013 all these things can be addressed and improved, at a cost.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an aside, I\u2019ve long felt that the behaviour of \u2018fans\u2019 has got out of hand in some parts of some races in recent years, irrespective of any political demonstrations or other deliberate disruptions. So let\u2019s all take a look in the mirror and have a serious think about what is appropriate behaviour when exercising the privilege of appreciating our sport live at the roadside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe broader problem is that today there are lots of other reasons why people may wish to disrupt a bike race to make their point.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, we already saw this at the World Championships in Scotland, when Just Stop Oil demonstrators glued themselves to the road in a protest against the prevalence of oil-related sponsors in the sport. So far, those kind of demonstrations have been relatively limited.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pro-PalestinePro-Palestine protest, stage 16, 2025 Vuelta (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n

But, with Israel-Premier Tech\u2019s role in the sport acting as the catalyst for the protests at the Vuelta, Cookson believes the role of nation states in the sport \u2013 such as four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogac\u030car\u2019s UAE Team Emirates squad \u2013 should be re-examined.<\/p>\n

Despite what its name and branding might suggest \u2013 especially in a sport where Bahrain and the UAE also serve as title sponsors \u2013 Israel-Premier Tech is not officially state-owned. Instead, it was founded by Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams, one of Canada\u2019s biggest real estate investors, who emigrated to Israel in 2015.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the squad has received some funding from Israel\u2019s ministry for tourism and Adams \u2013 who attended Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration, encouraged US attacks on Iran in June, and called on Israel to \u201cfinish the job\u201d in Gaza \u2013 has described the team as \u201cambassadors\u201d for Israel and a means of promoting a \u201cmore realistic vision\u201d of modern Israel.<\/p>\n

>\u00a0\u201cThey asked us to quit the Vuelta, but we did not surrender to the terrorists\u201d: Israel-Premier Tech boss Sylvan Adams hits out at \u201cviolent terrorist\u201d protesters and dismisses name change \u201cfake news\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cTo resolve this current issue, assuming the particular team sponsor concerned does not decide to withdraw, which seems unlikely, my only thought is that perhaps the UCI should consider a new rule,\u201d Cookson tells road.cc.<\/p>\n

\u201cA rule that no professional team (outside of world championships or other representative events) may bear the name of a nation state as its principal title. This certainly doesn\u2019t seem to happen in other pro sports, outside of World Cups, etc, when all the teams are national teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor instance, in football the English Premier League certainly has teams that are owned by nation states or their sovereign wealth funds or similar, but they don\u2019t have that nation\u2019s name as their principal name in competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are only two other teams that currently do that [UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain-Victorious], so far as I can see, and clearly they would need to be persuaded that it was in the best interest of the sport for them to adopt a different approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea whether they would or would not agree to that. That\u2019s currently the only suggestion I would have for a relatively quick, partial, and undoubtedly imperfect, way of moving things forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Israel-PremierIsrael-Premier Tech ride past Palestine flags, stage 11, 2025 Vuelta (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n

Cookson\u2019s comments come after the UCI issued a statement criticising the Spanish government<\/a> for \u201cexploiting sport for political purposes\u201d by backing the demonstrators\u2019 protests against Israel-Premier Tech\u2019s participation at the Vuelta.<\/p>\n

Describing the protesters\u2019 actions as \u201cmilitant\u201d, the governing body\u2019s statement condemned the \u201cunacceptable and counterproductive\u201d stance taken by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez, who this week called for Israel to be banned from all sports events following Sunday\u2019s cancelled Madrid stage, arguing that the nation should not be permitted to \u201cwhitewash\u201d its \u201cbarbarism\u201d in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe regret the fact that the Spanish Prime Minister and his government have supported actions that could hinder the smooth running of a sporting competition and, in some cases, expressed their admiration for the demonstrators,\u201d the UCI said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis position is contradictory to the Olympic values of unity, mutual respect, and peace. It also calls into question Spain’s ability to host major international sporting events, ensuring that they take place in safe conditions and in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Charter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe UCI strongly condemns the exploitation of sport for political purposes in general, and especially coming from a government.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UCI\u2019s position was today defended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who claimed that Israel\u2019s participation in sporting events \u201ccomplies\u201d with the Olympic Charter.<\/p>\n

\"Pro-PalestinePro-Palestine protests in Madrid, 2025 Vuelta (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n

However, the Spanish government has hit back at the UCI, arguing that using sport to \u201cwhitewash\u201d Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza is a political position contravening both the Olympic Charter and \u201cthe most basic values of sport\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the deepest admiration and respect for our athletes and, as we have always done, expressing our rejection of any type of violent behaviour, we believe that sport cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the world, much less remain oblivious to serious human rights violations,\u201d the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), the governing body for sport in Spain, said in a letter to UCI president David Lappartient.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no peace without justice, and using sport to \u2018whitewash\u2019 a genocide like the one being committed in Gaza, with thousands of deaths, innocent children, and a famine already declared by the United Nations, is a political position that contravenes the Olympic Charter and the most basic values \u200b\u200bof sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Tuesday morning, the United Nations\u2019 commission of inquiry confirmed that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Reports have also emerged this week that some WorldTour teams may refuse to race alongside Israel-Premier Tech and boycott events following the tumultuous scenes at the Vuelta, the Guardian<\/a> reporting that several squads were dismayed by IPT\u2019s refusal to quit the Spanish grand tour.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Soudal Quick-Step rider Louis Vervaeke told Sporza today<\/a> that some members of Israel-Premier Tech\u2019s Vuelta squad were looking to go home, and even asked other riders if there were any spots on their teams for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ex-UCI president Brian Cookson has suggested that cycling\u2019s governing body should introduce a new rule banning professional teams…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":142060,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-142059","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142059\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}