Italian Cycling Race Organizers Bar Israeli Team Amid Pro-Palestinian Protest Concerns
Organizers of the Giro dell’Emilia, a one-day cycling race scheduled for October 4th in Bologna, Italy, have decided to exclude the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team due to security concerns stemming from pro-Palestinian protests. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows disruptions to the recent Vuelta a Espana cycling race in Madrid, where protesters blocked the Israeli team’s participation, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the race’s final stage.
Adriano Amici,the race organizer,stated the decision was made “with regret” but necessary “for the safety of all athletes,technical staff,and spectators.” He explained the race’s final circuit,completed five times,presented a ”very high” risk of disruption. “We had to make this decision for reasons of public security,” Amici told Reuters.
The move comes as calls for Israel’s exclusion from global sporting events, festivals, and music competitions have increased since the start of its military operation in Gaza, which has resulted in approximately 66,000 Palestinian deaths, a situation the United Nations has described as a ”genocide.”
Bologna’s local government, led by the center-left Democratic Party, had previously called for the Israel-Premier Tech team’s exclusion, citing the Israeli government’s “serious crimes against the civilian population in the gaza Strip.” Roberta Li Calzi, the city’s sport councillor, welcomed the decision, stating it would have been “hypocritical” to allow a team “linked to this [Israeli] government” to participate given the ongoing conflict.
The Israel-Premier Tech team is owned by Israeli-Canadian property developer sylvan Adams, who is described by the World Jewish Congress, of which he is the president for the Israel region, as “committed to promoting Israel’s global image.”
The decision to exclude the team follows recent clashes between police and pro-Palestinian protesters in Milan during a nationwide strike in Italy protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Further pressure is mounting on Israel internationally. UEFA, European football’s governing body, is expected to vote soon on possibly suspending Israel’s football team from all competitions. A majority within the 20-member UEFA ruling committee is anticipated to support excluding israel from games. Additionally, members of the Eurovision Song Contest are scheduled to vote in November on whether to exclude Israel from the 2026 competition.
