It would be news to the tens of thousands of pro-Palestine protestors that were such a feature of the recent Vuelta a España that sport isn’t political. It would come as a surprise to Russian, Belarusian riders and their teams that cycling is not political. Those taking the knee for anti-racism and Black Lives Matter, or those obeying a minute’s silence around Remembrance Day might not realise it, but they are taking part in a political act at a sporting event. Countries host events, or fund their national teams for soft power gains; political wins, from London 2012 to the Qatar World Cup.
It would be news, too, to the owners or sponsors of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Bahrain Victorious, XDS Astana, Jayco AlUla and more, that there aren’t political gains to be made from sponsoring a cycling team. Israel-Premier Tech does not have the overt connection to the state in its name that others do, but it still represents it. Its co-owner, Sylvan Adams, has previously said: “These guys ride for Israel, so they need to know the country. This is not a state project. I am, by far, the largest single contributor from the team, and we do receive a small amount from the tourism board. There is no other government funding. The home country is unambiguously Israel. We don’t have a commercial sponsor – this is our identity.”
News editor at Cycling Weekly, Adam brings his weekly opinion on the goings on at the upper echelons of our sport. This piece is part of The Leadout, a newsletter series from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. As ever, email adam.becket@futurenet.com – should you wish to add anything, or suggest a topic.
According to cycling’s governing body, the UCI, sport isn’t political. In a statement released late on Monday, a spokesperson condemned the protests at the Vuelta, which disrupted the race, forcing stages 11 and 21 to end with no result, and shortening two others. The peaceful elements of the protests had the support of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, which drew ire from the UCI.
They said: “The UCI strongly condemns the exploitation of sport for political purposes in general, and especially coming from a government. Sport must remain autonomous to fulfil its role as a tool for peace. It is unacceptable and counterproductive for our sport to be diverted from its universal mission. Moreover, there are dedicated platforms where countries can discuss their differences.”
Sport has always, and remains, exploited for political purposes. The UCI granted licences to the above teams, allowing countries or individuals to boost their aims, to promote themselves on the world stage. When Tadej Pogačar wins another race for UAE, it helps to foster a positive image for the country, it’s that simple.
The UCI has taken licences away, too, in the knowledge that sport is political. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian teams and their sponsors lost their licences and were banned from UCI events to avoid “damaging the image of the UCI and cycling in general”, while riders were forced to be neutral, and still are.
Sport is clearly political, and to say that it isn’t is hypocritical, ignorant, or both. This is relevant now, in the week that a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, as Israel launched a major ground offensive into Gaza City.
Nearly 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza, since the Hamas-led attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people.
The protests against the participation of Israel-Premier Tech in the Vuelta were valid, although not when they put riders in danger. The UCI is fully justified in condemning protesters for putting riders at risk.
The team might not have a direct connection to the country in its name, but it is registered there, and represents it. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised the team for “not giving in to hate and intimidation” last week, adding that it had made Israel proud.
The protests also worked. They might not have succeeded in forcing the team out of the race, but they brought the concept to the attention of the cycling world, and kept the issue in the headlines as much as Jonas Vingegaard’s victory.
The UCI looks to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its cues; the IOC acted quickly on Russia and Belarus, but has not yet made a move on Israel. However, the UCI is responsible for Israel-Premier Tech’s licence, with the team potentially moving up to the WorldTour next season. It should not be seen as outrageous for this ruling to take into account Israel’s current actions.
The UCI’s press release is outrageous, to suggest that current events can’t be discussed in the world of cycling. Some things are more important than a bike race.
The Spanish government’s reply to the UCI quoted Kant: “Peace without justice is the peace of cemeteries.”
“With the deepest admiration and respect for our athletes and, as we have always done, expressing our rejection of any type of violent behavior, we believe that sport cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the world, much less remain oblivious to serious human rights violations,” the Spanish government’s reply read.
“There is no peace without justice, and using sport to ‘whitewash’ a genocide like the one being committed in Gaza, with thousands of deaths, innocent children, and a famine already declared by the United Nations, is a political position that contravenes the Olympic Charter and the most basic values of sport.”
Sport is political. Everything is political. Hiding behind the idea that sport is neutral is not good enough, not at this critical juncture. If sport really is for peace, then difficult decisions need to be made.
This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.
If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com, or comment below.
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