There’s never a quiet week in the WorldTour, but Israel–Premier Tech (IPT) is currently writing its own late-season drama series. After months of protests, sponsor reshuffling, and uncomfortable headlines, Factor Bikes — the team’s equipment partner since 2020 — has reportedly told management it will not continue past the end of 2025. That vibes with the ultimatum they gave IPT this summer. And that single decision has set off a chain reaction that now involves a rebrand, political optics, and a rumored tug-of-war between bike suppliers. Heaping more stress on the team, after Premier Tech (its co-title sponsor) decided to part ways earlier last month.
Why Now?
Factor’s reasoning? Brand risk. Plain and simple. The company told IPT leadership that without a name change and a departure from overt national branding, the partnership had become “too controversial” for the long-term health of the brand. For Factor, this wasn’t about right or wrong — it was about the mounting protests at races, the team’s high-visibility political baggage, and the fallout from multiple events disrupted or canceled due to safety concerns surrounding IPT’s presence.
Layer onto that the departure of major title sponsor Premier Tech earlier this month, and suddenly IPT’s future looks less like an offseason tune-up and more like a structural rebuild.
But here’s where the plot thickens.
Enter Scott: The Rumored New Bike Sponsor (Maybe?)
Right as Factor prepared to bow out, Scott Bikes quietly rolled into the picture — or at least thats the speculation. Riders reportedly spotted brand-new Scott Foils being unboxed, mechanics checking over frames, and shipments arriving that looked suspiciously like long-term prep.
Should riders expect Factor bikes at the preseason camp or Scotts? Some have heard both, and social media is full of theories. From what we speculate (and how it looks), it sounds like the team is trying to negotiate a parachute — keeping the Factor relationship alive just long enough to finish obligations, while Scott hovers in a holding pattern waiting for the political dust to settle (keen for a new team after losing Q36.5 to Pinarello)
And until IPT finalizes a new name, new identity, and new sponsor slate, brands aren’t exactly rushing to be first in line to plant their logos on the downtube.
A Team Mid-Rebuild
IPT’s upcoming rebrand — shedding the Israeli flag and shifting its name to something more global — is part existential crisis, part large damage control. It’s an attempt to make the program “safe” again for significant corporate partnerships. But as anyone who’s watched professional cycling for more than fifteen minutes knows: equipment deals aren’t just business agreements, they’re full-season logistical commitments. You are tied into the team and its operations; it’s your name on the kits and the headlines.
So What Does This Mean for the Riders?
Uncertainty. Lots of it.
A new sponsor usually brings excitement — new gear, new tech, maybe even a performance bump. But a mid-identity meltdown paired with an unresolved equipment contract? That affects morale, organization, and the sense of stability riders rely on during contract years.
Throw in political tension, public protests, and two simultaneous bike suppliers circling the same team, and the situation starts to look less like a standard offseason shuffle and more like crisis management.
We Watch and Wait
Sponsors aren’t passive stickers anymore; they’re stewards of their own public image. And in the modern peloton, every frame, every jersey, every flag carries weight. Scott may step in for 2026. Or Factor might be forced to carry IPT through one last transition year. Or we might get the rare outcome: a team starting the season without a confirmed equipment supplier.
Whatever happens, this saga is far from over. And for a team fighting to reinvent itself while the world watches, the next few months will define not just their race calendar — but their identity.
