Cycling team Israel Premier Tech has been excluded from an upcoming race in Italy over concerns about pro-Palestinian protests and disruption if the team were to participate.
The decision by organizers of the Giro dell'Emilia race comes after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Spanish Vuelta, where Israel Premier Tech took part. Spain's government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage this month.
In total, seven of the past 11 days of racing at the Vuelta were cut short or interrupted.
Bologna councilor Roberta Li Calzi welcomed the decision to remove the team from the one-day race, which is scheduled for Oct. 4.
"We believe that sport is a vehicle of universal values of sharing, fair competition, solidarity between people," Li Calzi said Saturday. "We are satisfied to learn that this opinion is shared by the organization of the race, which today officially confirmed to us that the Israeli team will not take part in the Giro dell'Emilia.
"I thank them for this sensitivity, which I believe is shared by a large part of our community."
The team is co-owned by Israeli Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams. Its title sponsor Premier Tech -- a multinational company based in Quebec, Canada -- said Thursday that it expects the team to be rebranded.
There have been increasing calls to ban Israel from participating in various European sports competitions, including reports of an expected vote by UEFA to suspend Israeli teams from international play.
The protestors in Spain said their actions were aimed at denouncing Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people. It was launched after Hamas' deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
