The Israeli cycling squad Israel-Premier Tech has declared it will not abandon the Vuelta a Espana following demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists that forced Wednesday's eleventh stage to conclude without a victor.
The protests in Bilbao prevented officials from declaring a stage winner, marking an unprecedented disruption to the Spanish Grand Tour.
The team released a formal statement rejecting any possibility of withdrawal, asserting that such action would establish a harmful precedent for professional cycling.
"Israel-Premier Tech is a professional cycling team," the squad stated. "As such, the team remains committed to racing on at the Vuelta a Espana."
Israel-Premier Tech have released a defiant statement after protests from pro-Palestine supporters
|REUTERS
The team emphasised that departing from the race would create risks for the entire sport.
"Any other course of action sets a dangerous precedent in the sport of cycling, not only for Israel-Premier Tech, but for all teams," their statement continued.
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"Israel-Premier Tech has repeatedly expressed its respect for everyones' right to protest, as long as those protests remain peaceful and do not compromise the safety of the peloton."
They criticised Wednesday's demonstrations as "not only dangerous, but counterproductive to their cause and deprived the Basque cycling fans, some of the best cycling fans in the world, of the stage finish they deserved."
Race organisers had reportedly encouraged the Israeli squad to voluntarily abandon the competition to guarantee participant safety.
Pro-Palestine protestors shut down the Vuelta a Espana on Wednesday
|REUTERS
The team's Spanish director countered this suggestion, highlighting that approximately 180 families rely on the organisation for their livelihoods.
According to reports, La Vuelta's management proposed the withdrawal as the optimal solution for protecting all participants, including riders from every team, spectators and security personnel.
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The organisers cannot legally exclude the team without facing significant repercussions from the UCI, cycling's international governing body.
The team maintains it holds no political position and employs riders from various nations worldwide.
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Israel-Premier Tech confirmed they would not pull out of the race
|REUTERS
The Israeli team had previously faced demonstrations during the team time-trial the previous week.
Despite the disruptions, Israel-Premier Tech confirmed they would appear at Thursday morning's start in Laredo for the 144.9-kilometre route to Los Corrales de Buelna.
The squad expressed gratitude towards race officials and the UCI for their backing. "We thank the race organisers and UCI for their continued support and cooperation, as well as the teams and riders that have expressed their support both publicly and privately and, of course, our fans," they stated.
The team simultaneously fields a six-rider contingent at the Tour of Britain, where Thursday's third stage runs between Milton Keynes and Ampthill.