Safety endangered
Starting ban for Israeli bike team
09/27/2025 – 6:36 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Out of concern for security, Israel Prime Minister Tech must not start at the Giro Dell’emilia. The organizers of the race in northern Italy react to the latest protests against the team.
The Israel Prime Minister Tech is not allowed to take part in the classic cycling classic Giro Dell’emilia for security reasons. This was announced by the organizers of the one-day race in northern Italy on Saturday of the AFP news agency. The racing team had recently been the target of Palestinian protests, especially when it comes to the Spain Tour, and the last stage of the Vuelta had to be canceled in the middle of the month.
“We had to make this decision for reasons of public security,” said organizer President Adriano Amici of the AFP news agency. He referred to the tense situation and possible risks: “The climate is very tense, there were too many dangers for the drivers of the team and for the other drivers.”
The Giro Dell’emilia takes place on October 4th and leads over 199 kilometers from Mirandola to Bologna. In particular, the circuit in the final, which must be completed five times, makes the race susceptible to disorders, said Amici. “It is a decision that I regret from a sporting point of view, but from the perspective of public security I had no other choice.”
The background to the exclusion is ongoing protests against the participation of the team, especially since the beginning of the Gaza War. At the Vuelta in Spain, Israel Prime Minister Tech has been the goal of Pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The last stage of the Spain Tour had to be canceled in mid-September-according to the authorities, more than 100,000 people had protested in Madrid.
Also at the World Tour Races in Québec and Montreal, the team was most recently under the abbreviation IPT and without state identification. UCI President David Lappartient only assured the racing team his support on Friday. Israel Prime Minister Tech “clearly has the right” to continue to compete in international races, he said on the sidelines of the World Championships in Kigali.