Israel–Premier Tech has rebranded as NSN Cycling Team and will race under a Swiss licence with a base in Spain, it was revealed today.
The international sports and entertainment company NSN (Never Say Never) and Stoneweg, a global investment platform based in Geneva, Switzerland, have “entered into a joint venture” to take over the WorldTour and Development team structure ahead of the 2026 season.
The change in sponsorship follows protests at races against the participation of Israel–Premier Tech in light of Israel’s war on Gaza. These protests came to a head at the Vuelta a España where several stages were cut short and demonstrators labelled the team’s participation as “sportswashing”.
Former Israel–Premier Tech riders Alessandro de Marchi and Jakob Fuglsang also expressed relief over no longer riding for the team, while Derek Gee terminated his contract following “serious concerns related to racing for the team” and a “personal-belief standpoint”.
As a result of the mounting pressure on Israel–Premier Tech, both Premier Tech and Factor Bikes said they would withdraw their support for the team if it did not change its name or drop its affiliation with Israel.
Although Israel–Premier Tech said it would change its name, Premier Tech still dropped its sponsorship of the team in early November.
The Canadian company said at the time: “Although we took notice of the team’s decision to change its name for the 2026 season, the core reason for Premier Tech to sponsor the team has been overshadowed to a point where it has become untenable for us to continue as a sponsor.”
It is now rumoured that Factor Bikes has left the team, with Scott Bikes allegedly stepping in.
The team closed its website and social media accounts last weekend ahead of its relaunch on Thursday evening.
“We are proud to welcome NSN and Stoneweg to the team and announce our new name and identity: NSN Cycling Team,” said NSN Cycling Team general manager Kjell Carlström.
“This is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the team, and we can’t wait to make our debut as NSN Cycling Team.”
The team will return to the WorldTour level for the 2026 season with the name NSN Cycling, while its Continental-level development squad will be called NSN Development Team.
