The controversial UCI road cycling team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) has exited the sport after the takeover of its racing license by international sports and entertainment company Never Say Never (NSN).
Now known as NSN Cycling, the new-look team will be based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is expected to enter the top-tier UCI World Tour from 2026 onwards, with a development category side, NSN Development Team, competing on the UCI Continental Tour.
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Sports agency and promotion company NSN, which was co-founded by Spanish soccer icon Andres Iniesta, is backed by Swiss investment bank Stoneweg, and as such, the team now races under a Swiss license, although it says its “Spanish structure” of operations will be situated in Barcelona and Girona.
The agreement also confirms that Stoneweg has taken a stake in NSN “with the aim of continuing to support major projects in the world of sport and entertainment.”
On the launch of the new team, general manager Kjell Carlkstrom commented: “NSN’s acquisition of the team license, and subsequent role in the team’s operations, is an opportunity to welcome investment from an industry leader in global sports and entertainment, drawing on their wealth of experience to the benefit of the team and our partners.
“NSN shares our commitment to innovation, development, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in cycling. Our long-term relationship with Stoneweg acts as a foundation for this new partnership, and together, we have ambitious goals for the coming WorldTour cycle. This is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the team, and we can’t wait to make our debut as NSN Cycling Team.”
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By GlobalDataThe Spanish company already has some presence in the cycling market, holding a majority stake in gravel-bike brand Guava.
Elsewhere, NSN holds a number of investments across the sports space, including a soccer side in the Danish second tier, and has in the past struck promotion agreements with the likes of MotoGP and Matchroom Boxing.
The new team has identified the Grand Depart of the 2026 Tour de France, which will start in NSN’s home of Barcelona, as an opportunity of particular importance.
Currently, no UCI WorldTeams are registered in Switzerland, while the long-time Movistar Team remains Spain’s sole representative on the tour.
NSN is already making moves, with Eritrean star Biniam Girmay (winner of the green jersey on the 2024 Tour de France) a reported target, one which would immediately illustrate its world tour ambitions.
This change has come rapidly for the former IPT team, which entered crisis mode after the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, which was marred by widespread protests from pro-Palestinian campaigners against what was seen as an Israeli presence in the peloton. In the end, the final stages of the race were cancelled due to the disruption.
During that race, IPT dropped the Israel moniker in an attempt to pacify the protests, but to no avail.
Title partner Premier Tech, the Canadian pesticide company, then ended its naming rights deal in October, followed by bike supplier Factor, leaving the side with no confirmed name for 2026, an untenable situation for most cycling teams given the necessity for sponsorship to fund operations.
