According to statements by Joseph Lemar, the director of the organizing committee for the Quebec and Montreal races in Canada, the team officially contacted them and requested the removal of the name ‘Israel’ from all promotional materials and related references on the track. He also confirmed that they will participate in different attire at these events.
Earlier, protests led to a halt 3 kilometers before the finish, resulting in no winner being declared. At that time, the tour’s technical director, Kiko Garcia, decided to exclude the Israeli team to ensure the race’s safety and security, but the team refused to withdraw.
The protests continued, leading to the early conclusion of the sixteenth stage of the tour. Additionally, the distance of the eighteenth stage was reduced from 27.2 kilometers to 12.2 kilometers due to similar protests.
The increasing pressure both locally and internationally pushed the team to make decisions aimed at reducing the controversy surrounding their participation, without fully withdrawing from the competition.
