News

The team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech have been taken over by a branding company co-founded by Barcelona legend and World Cup winner Andres Iniesta.

It was announced on Thursday evening the team had changed ownership and registered as Swiss, following their Israeli owners being the subject of several pro-Palestinian protests and the loss of their title sponsor.

The team will now be known as NSN Cycling from 2026, and say they are “a Swiss team with a Spanish structure”.

In a statement, which suggested they had been sold by the Israeli owners – although this has not been formally confirmed to BBC Sport after a request for comment – the team said they had made an “acquisition of the team’s]governing competition] licence, and subsequent role in the team’s operations”.

NSN, which stands for Never Say Never, is a company co-founded by Iniesta, and claims to “connect global audiences through the power of sports and entertainment”.

Former title sponsor Premier Tech ended its association this month, despite the team initially agreeing to remove Israel from their name.

The team had agreed to the change in October after public pressure from the Canadian company, citing pro-Palestinian protests during the Vuelta a Espana in September – many of which were directed towards Israel-Premier Tech.

Canadian rider Derek Gee also cancelled his contract with the team days before the Vuelta, citing “serious concerns”.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome signed for the team in 2020, but was released last week following serious injuries sustained in a training accident this year.

Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams has been co-owner of Israel-Premier Tech since 2014, but recently stepped back from day-to-day operations following controversy surrounding the team during the Vuelta as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The conflict was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, 2023, during which about 1, 200 people were killed.

Iniesta is known primarily for a trophy-laden career with Barcelona and Spain, including scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

An integral part of football’s game-changing tiki-taka dominance, the 41-year-old has become active in business since his retirement and known to enjoy the ever-growing discipline of gravel cycling.

Cycling, and road cycling in particular, is considered one of the next areas of significant global growth in elite sport, with many of the sport’s figureheads calling for a new financial model to be established.

Although not directly referenced in statements, Gee said riding for the Israeli-owned team “weighed heavily on his conscience”, and said he is now the subject of a 30m euros (£26m) damages claim for breach of contract from the team.

It is not clear whether this dispute is ongoing now the team’s ownership appears to have changed hands.

Gee, a popular figure in the sport, was considered one of the former team’s best riders, having finished fourth in May’s Giro d’Italia.

Adams ‘ involvement in Israeli politics is well known, telling BBC Sport in 2020 he is a “self-appointed ambassador to Israel”.

He supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on a trip to the White House to oversee the signing of an accord between Arab nations and Israel during US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020.

The protests during the Vuelta affected several of the 21 stages across the three-week Grand Tour, including the cancellation of the final stage in Madrid, when protestors blocked the course with barriers and some riders were pushed from their bikes.

On stage five during the team time trial, a banner was unfurled in front of Israel-Premier Tech as they approached at speed, taking four of eight riders out of the stage.

Alongside the withdrawal of Premier Tech, the old team’s bike supplier Factor also decided to end its association.

The team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech have been taken over by a branding company co-founded by Barcelona legend and World Cup winner Andres Iniesta.

It was announced on Thursday evening the team had changed ownership and registered as Swiss, following their Israeli owners being the subject of several pro-Palestinian protests and the loss of their title sponsor.

The team will now be known as NSN Cycling from 2026, and say they are “a Swiss team with a Spanish structure”.

In a statement, which suggested they had been sold by the Israeli owners – although this has not been formally confirmed to BBC Sport after a request for comment – the team said they had made an “acquisition of the team’s [governing competition] licence, and subsequent role in the team’s operations”.

NSN, which stands for Never Say Never, is a company co-founded by Iniesta, and claims to “connect global audiences through the power of sports and entertainment”.

Former title sponsor Premier Tech ended its association this month, despite the team initially agreeing to remove Israel from their name.

The team had agreed to the change in October after public pressure from the Canadian company, citing pro-Palestinian protests during the Vuelta a Espana in September – many of which were directed towards Israel-Premier Tech.

Canadian rider Derek Gee also cancelled his contract with the team days before the Vuelta, citing “serious concerns”.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome signed for the team in 2020, but was released last week following serious injuries sustained in a training accident this year.

Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams has been co-owner of Israel-Premier Tech since 2014, but recently stepped back from day-to-day operations following controversy surrounding the team during the Vuelta as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The conflict was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed.

Iniesta is known primarily for a trophy-laden career with Barcelona and Spain, including scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

An integral part of football’s game-changing tiki-taka dominance, the 41-year-old has become active in business since his retirement and known to enjoy the ever-growing discipline of gravel cycling.

Cycling, and road cycling in particular, is considered one of the next areas of significant global growth in elite sport, with many of the sport’s figureheads calling for a new financial model to be established.

Although not directly referenced in statements, Gee said riding for the Israeli-owned team “weighed heavily on his conscience”, and said he is now the subject of a 30m euros (£26m) damages claim for breach of contract from the team.

It is not clear whether this dispute is ongoing now the team’s ownership appears to have changed hands.

Gee, a popular figure in the sport, was considered one of the former team’s best riders, having finished fourth in May’s Giro d’Italia.

Adams’ involvement in Israeli politics is well known, telling BBC Sport in 2020 he is a “self-appointed ambassador to Israel”.

He supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on a trip to the White House to oversee the signing of an accord between Arab nations and Israel during US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020.

The protests during the Vuelta affected several of the 21 stages across the three-week Grand Tour, including the cancellation of the final stage in Madrid, when protestors blocked the course with barriers and some riders were pushed from their bikes.

On stage five during the team time trial, a banner was unfurled in front of Israel-Premier Tech as they approached at speed, taking four of eight riders out of the stage.

Alongside the withdrawal of Premier Tech, the old team’s bike supplier Factor also decided to end its association.

CME Group Tour Championship – round one leaderboard

-8 S Lee (Kor); -6 A Corpuz (US); -5 J Thitikul (Tha), K Sei-young (Kor), N Hataoka (Jap) I Jin-Hee

South Korea’s Somi Lee shot a career-best eight-under-par 64 to open up a two-shot lead in the first round of the LPGA’s lucrative season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

The 26-year-old made four birdies on the front nine and three more on the back nine – plus an eagle on the 17th – with the only blemish to her scorecard arriving with a bogey on the 18th.

“It’s an honour playing my first Tour Championship and I don’t think I was necessarily in a position to be nervous about anything,” Lee said.

“I thought to myself ‘whatever the score is or how I play, let’s just prepare for next year’s season’. I think that kind of alleviated the stress in today’s round to be able to get a better score.”

American Allisen Corpuz is at six under, while world number one and defending champion Jeeno Thitikul, who leads the Race to CME Globe rankings, is one of four players a stroke further back at five under.

Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom ended Thursday in a tie for seventh at four under and are the highest-placed Europeans in the 60-player field at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, which contains 28 of the 29 winners from this season.

England’s Charley Hull, who won this tournament in 2016, knocked in five birdies but a double-bogey on the 10th checked her progress and she eventually signed for a three-under-par 69.

Her compatriot Lottie Woad is at two under, while world number two Nelly Korda recovered from consecutive bogeys on the second and third holes to finish one under as she chases her first win of the campaign.

The LPGA’s final event of the season carries a total purse of $11m (£8.4m).

CME Group Tour Championship – round one leaderboard

-8 S Lee (Kor); -6 A Corpuz (US); -5 J Thitikul (Tha), K Sei-young (Kor), N Hataoka (Jap) I Jin-Hee

South Korea’s Somi Lee shot a career-best eight-under-par 64 to open up a two-shot lead in the first round of the LPGA’s lucrative season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

The 26-year-old made four birdies on the front nine and three more on the back nine – plus an eagle on the 17th – with the only blemish to her scorecard arriving with a bogey on the 18th.

“It’s an honour playing my first Tour Championship and I don’t think I was necessarily in a position to be nervous about anything,” Lee said.

“I thought to myself ‘whatever the score is or how I play, let’s just prepare for next year’s season’. I think that kind of alleviated the stress in today’s round to be able to get a better score.”

American Allisen Corpuz is at six under, while world number one and defending champion Jeeno Thitikul, who leads the Race to CME Globe rankings, is one of four players a stroke further back at five under.

Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom ended Thursday in a tie for seventh at four under and are the highest-placed Europeans in the 60-player field at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, which contains 28 of the 29 winners from this season.

England’s Charley Hull, who won this tournament in 2016, knocked in five birdies but a double-bogey on the 10th checked her progress and she eventually signed for a three-under-par 69.

Her compatriot Lottie Woad is at two under, while world number two Nelly Korda recovered from consecutive bogeys on the second and third holes to finish one under as she chases her first win of the campaign.

The LPGA’s final event of the season carries a total purse of $11m (£8.4m).

CME Group Tour Championship – round one leaderboard

-8 S Lee (Kor), -6 A Corpuz (US), -5 J Thitikul (Tha), K Sei-young (Kor), N Hataoka (Jap) I Jin-Hee

South Korea’s Somi Lee shot a career-best eight-under-par 64 to open up a two-shot lead in the first round of the LPGA’s lucrative season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

The 26-year-old made four birdies on the front nine and three more on the back nine – plus an eagle on the 17th – with the only blemish to her scorecard arriving with a bogey on the 18th.

“It’s an honour playing my first Tour Championship and I don’t think I was necessarily in a position to be nervous about anything”, Lee said.

“I thought to myself ‘ whatever the score is or how I play, let’s just prepare for next year’s season’. I think that kind of alleviated the stress in today’s round to be able to get a better score”.

American Allisen Corpuz is at six under, while world number one and defending champion Jeeno Thitikul, who leads the Race to CME Globe rankings, is one of four players a stroke further back at five under.

Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom ended Thursday in a tie for seventh at four under and are the highest-placed Europeans in the 60-player field at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, which contains 28 of the 29 winners from this season.

England’s Charley Hull, who won this tournament in 2016, knocked in five birdies but a double-bogey on the 10th checked her progress and she eventually signed for a three-under-par 69.

Her compatriot Lottie Woad is at two under, while world number two Nelly Korda recovered from consecutive bogeys on the second and third holes to finish one under as she chases her first win of the campaign.

The LPGA’s final event of the season carries a total purse of $11m (£8.4m).