Israel-Premier Tech offers neutral jerseys to its runners

Whether around his home in Tel Aviv, at his team’s training camp in Spain or in Miami where he will spend the holidays with his family, Sylvan Adams rides proudly in his rainbow jersey of world masters champion , stamped with the name of its training: “Israel-Premier Tech”.

“Personally, I have no problem riding in public with the jersey,” summarized the businessman and philanthropist in a telephone interview with The PressWednesday.

As a safety measure, Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) nevertheless allowed its runners to wear a partially unmarked uniform to train when they are not supervised by the team.

“It is their choice to [rouler] with the neutral jersey or the usual jersey,” said Sylvan Adams, a Quebecer established since 2015 in Israel, the original homeland of his late father, Marcel Adams.

This particular situation arises from the war waged by Israel against Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, after the surprise attack of October 7 which left 1,400 Israeli victims, the majority civilians. Hamas also kidnapped 240 people, more than a hundred of whom are believed to remain detained.

Sylvan Adams is “revolted” at having to worry about the well-being of the members of his team because of what is written on their jerseys or company vehicles.

“Is it normal that a cycling team should worry about the threat of violence just because we wear a jersey with the name Israel? Is it acceptable in our sport, in our society, that Jews have to worry about their personal safety? »

The owner of IPT nevertheless decided to produce neutral uniforms, making the safety of its riders and employees a top priority.

“I don’t like at all the fact that we have to think about having a training jersey that doesn’t have the name Israel on it. I don’t like it, because it’s really [céder] to an unacceptable threat! But the safety of runners who train alone like this, without vehicles and all the rest of the entourage that accompanies them to races, takes precedence over all other considerations. »

This possibility of training in neutral clothing was first reported at the end of November by the Dutch specialist website WielerFlits, according to which runners and staff members feared being the object of violent acts . Some IPT cyclists reportedly passed near pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

In interview with The PressSylvan Adams evaded questions about the expression of discomfort or insecurity on the part of runners, reiterating that IPT management has been “proactive” on the subject.

“I didn’t feel fear”

At the team’s first camp for the new season, which ended on Sunday December 17 in Girona, the Israel-Hamas war was discussed with the 30 cyclists of 13 nationalities, including 4 Israelis and 5 Canadians, among including Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin.

“It sparked discussions internally,” said Mr. Adams, owner of IPT. We talked about the situation in Israel, what happened on October 7, what Israel has done since. We explained what was happening with the war, its objectives, the situation of the hostages, the families and the displacement of 250,000 people in the country, which is unimaginable. »

A resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, about ten kilometers from the Gaza Strip, came to testify about the horrors he experienced when his small community was stormed by Hamas fighters.

“He explained to us how he and his family survived on October 7, when 25% [des habitants] from his kibbutz were knocked out, tortured, burned and massacred in unimaginable ways,” said Sylvan Adams.

The co-founder of IPT believes that everyone was reassured by the information sessions: “We were proactive in encouraging discussions. Honestly, the issue of threats was not discussed as such. I didn’t feel any fear from the riders and the people who work for the team. I didn’t feel anything other than the desire to attack the season with an improved team. I am very encouraged by our new acquisitions and I hope we will have a great team. »

Caution for Swell

On the eve of starting his third campaign for Israel-Premier Tech, Hugo Houle does not feel particularly threatened while riding in his 2023 jersey, whether around his home, in the Monaco region, or on the roads of Quebec, where he faces the cold these days. As a precaution, the 33-year-old will still wear a neutral uniform in training when he receives it next month.

“For my part, I think it is safe on the road, I have never had a problem,” explained the stage winner at the Tour de France in 2022, in a written message. “However, we must protect ourselves since it only takes one person to attack us. We are already vulnerable on the roads, it is better to play safe. »

His teammate Guillaume Boivin hasn’t really thought about the jersey he will wear in the coming weeks in Australia, where he will kick off his season in January.

“Honestly, it doesn’t bother me that much: I’ll take the first jersey in the drawer and that’ll be it,” said the 34-year-old veteran joined on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane.

At the time of the video call, Boivin was donning IPT’s special jersey for the latest Tour de France, where the word “Israel” is prominently displayed. Digging through his bag, he discovered the brand new neutral jersey, which he unwrapped to show off to the camera. It is almost identical to the new 2024 uniform unveiled last week, except the words “Israel” and “Premier Tech”, the other main sponsor, are no longer on it. The logos – a stylized Star of David and the P of Premier Tech, a multinational from Rivière-du-Loup – remained.

Although he feels safe in Australia and in the mountains of Andorra, where he lives, Guillaume Boivin is grateful for the care of his training in protecting riders.

“When you train, you never know who you might run into,” said the man who is one of the oldest members of the Israeli team, which he has represented since 2016. “It’s always been a bit reality, but it has been amplified since the war in Gaza. […] It is always more for the exception than for the general population. It also depends on the region where you live. I understand that it may be more disturbing for some. It’s good that the team took into consideration the fears that a few might have. »

“We have the situation under control”

Generally speaking, Sylvan Adams is not particularly concerned about the possibility of one of his riders being the victim of an untoward event.

“Those who make threats of violence are not people who follow our sport,” said the 65-year-old man. But if they see the name “Israel”, it is like a provocation for them because they have hatred towards Israel and the Jewish people at the same time. »

On at least two occasions in recent years, pro-Palestinian demonstrators heckled during the presentation of Israel-Premier Tech riders before the start of the Montreal Cycling Grand Prix. Mr. Adams himself was addressed in 2022.

The owner of IPT indicated that “defensive measures to ensure security [du] personnel” of the Israeli-Canadian team will be put in place during the next season, as has been the case in recent years.

“These violent people have been more visible since October 7, but they were there before. I trust [dans le fait que] we have the situation under control and that the safety measures we are undertaking will be sufficient to allow us to ride like a cycling team on our public roads, which should be safe for everyone. »

The plan for a “peace race” in Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates at the end of October could be postponed. “The war situation has slowed down discussions in this regard a little,” admitted Sylvan Adams. We’ll see how things go. »

Israel-Premier Tech, Guillaume Boivin and Canadian Derek Gee will begin the new season from January 16 to 21 at the Tour Down Under, in Australia. Riders will all wear the official team jersey, with their full name written on the chest.

Update on Chris Froome

At 38 years old, can Chris Froome find the level to participate in the next Tour de France, his stated objective for 2024? Sylvan Adams asks to see.

“Chris remains confident that he can return to his old form,” said the IPT owner. The team will give him all the support possible to achieve his goals. Will he do it? Besides Chris, no one would be happier than me if they did. »

Under contract with IPT until 2025, the four-time winner of the Tour de France has only obtained one notable result since his accident on the sidelines of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2019: his third place at Alpe d’Huez at the Tour de France 2022.

Last year, Sylvan Adams admitted “not having gotten his money’s worth” since hiring the Briton of Kenyan origin in 2021, a statement repeated everywhere and which led to a clarification between the two men.

Chris Froome believes he has discovered the source of these back pains in recent years: a notable difference in his positioning on his mount compared to his glorious years with Sky and Ineos.

Does his boss think he can win a place in the Tour de France?

“He has so much self-confidence! Adams first responded with a laugh. I would like to see this in a more tangible way in preparatory races. I reserve my answer before seeing. »

After an altitude camp in South Africa, Froome will begin his season at the Tour du Rwanda in February. “Last year, he failed to win a stage or the Tour. This will be a good test for him to see where he stands. The Tour du Rwanda is a lower caliber race. We’d love to see a performance from Chris that gives us a vision of the possibilities to come this year. »

Froome intends to run until the end of his contract and does not rule out the possibility of extending his career beyond 2025.