Former Israel PT team to race in cycling's World Tour

The International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed on Wednesday that the Andres Iniesta-headed NSN Cycling Team – formerly Israel Premier Tech – would compete on the elite-level World Tour the next three years.

The new team largely takes over the structure of Israel PT, which was targeted by pro-Palestinian protests earlier this year, leading to the disruption of some major races.

Pro-Palestinian protesters caused several stages of the Vuelta a Espana to be either shortened or neutralised while they also caused some cyclists to crash.

Israel PT were also forced to pull out of several races in Italy over fears that they would be disrupted by protesters.

The team was previously owned by Canadian-Israeli property developer Sylvan Adams, who had dubbed himself an unofficial ambassador for Israel, which in October signed a fragile ceasefire with Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza after two years of war.

Former Spain and Barcelona football star Iniesta is a co-founder of sports and entertainment agency NSN which, partnered with Swiss global investment platform Stoneweg, took over the team in November.

NSN Cycling will race under a Swiss licence, but will be based in Spain, and has already signed a star name in the form of sprinter Biniam Girmay.

The Eritrean's former team, Intermarche, was also included in the list of 18 teams to compete on the World Tour for the next three years unveiled by the UCI.

It will race under the new guise of Lotto-Intermarche – confirming the long-awaited merger between the two Belgian organisations.

"In recent months we have worked very hard behind the scenes to build a solid project, based on the foundations of Lotto Cycling Team and Intermarche-Wanty," new team CEO Jean-Francois Bourlart said in a statement.

The Lotto-Intermarche team will be headed by 23-year-old rising Belgian star Arnaud De Lie.