WorldTour cycling enters 2026 with a seismic shift. The long-running Israel-Premier Tech structure is no more, replaced by a new organisation built around Swiss registration, Spanish operational bases and a heavyweight commercial partnership. The new outfit, confirmed by Marca as NSN Cycling Team, signals the start of a fresh chapter driven by global investment, entertainment-industry expertise and a clear ambition to reshape its sporting identity.
Swiss licence, Catalan foundations
The NSN Cycling Team emerges from a joint venture between NSN (Never Say Never) and Stoneweg, the Geneva-based investment platform. While the UCI licence sits in Switzerland, the team’s daily operations will be based in Girona and Barcelona, two of Europe’s busiest professional cycling hubs. The performance department, service course and logistical structure will all be centred there, giving the team an immediate advantage in a region where many riders already live and train.
The shift marks a clean break from the previous era. Former team owner Sylvan Adams exits completely, allowing the new management structure, led by Kjell Carlström, to define a new sporting direction.
A project with global roots
NSN is a fast-growing international sports and entertainment company with projects spanning football, music, audiovisual production, marketing and talent management. It has delivered major global events, including Inter Miami’s Latin American tour and two Barça Legends–Real Madrid Leyendas matches in Mexico and El Salvador. NSN also owns Danish Second Division side Helsingør FC, represents young football talent and holds a majority stake in the gravel-bike brand GUAVA. The company operates from offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Tokyo, Mexico City and Dubai.
Stoneweg, headquartered in Geneva, is a global alternative investment group managing €11 billion in assets. With more than 250 employees spread across 23 offices in Europe, the U.S. and Singapore, it has built a reputation as a trusted investment partner across club deals, joint ventures and co-investments, backing real-asset and alternative-investment projects worldwide.
A rebuilt identity and a leader in Girmay
The arrival of Biniam Girmay stands out as the team’s defining statement. The Eritrean, one of the most marketable and decisive riders of the modern peloton, will lead the sporting project into 2026. His recruitment underlines the team’s shift toward competitive ambition and international visibility.
With the 2026 Tour de France departing from Barcelona, the team now has the perfect launchpad for its first major public unveiling. A home Grand Départ for the newly based squad adds both symbolism and immediate pressure to perform.
First training camp imminent
Final preparations are underway for the first pre-season camp, where the technical staff will shape the performance model and race calendar. A new development structure, the NSN Development Team, will run alongside the WorldTour squad, strengthening early-career pathways and aligning with NSN’s broader interest in youth development.
A roster blending experience and untapped potential
The retained core includes a mix of seasoned Grand Tour riders, versatile all-rounders and developing talents. The riders already confirmed for 2026 are:
- Lewis Askey
- George Bennett
- Joseph Blackmore
- Guillaume Boivin
- Simon Clarke (contract through 31 January)
- Pier-André Côté
- Marco Frigo
- Brady Gilmore
- Jan Hirt
- Hugo Hofstetter
- Hugo Houle
- Matis Louvel
- Alexey Lutsenko
- Pau Martí
- Ryan Mullen
- Krists Neilands
- Alessandro Pinarello
- Nick Schultz
- Riley Sheehan
- Jake Stewart
- Corbin Strong
- Tom Van Asbroeck
- Floris Van Tricht
- Ethan Vernon
- Stephen Williams
Girmay will join them as the flagship signing.
The notable absentee is Chris Froome, whose contract and role had long been the subject of speculation. His name does not appear in the expected 2026 line-up. Another major omission is Derek Gee. Although the Canadian rider has stated publicly that he has left the organisation, the situation remains unresolved, with an ongoing legal dispute over the team’s attempt to retain one of its standout performers.
A new era with Spanish accents
The launch of NSN Cycling Team marks more than a rebrand. It is a complete re-engineering of a WorldTour organisation in pursuit of modernisation, high-performance alignment and global appeal. The Catalan base, the Swiss licence and Girmay’s leadership combine to create one of the most intriguing structural transformations in recent men’s cycling.
The Israel-Premier Tech era now formally closes. In its place, NSN Cycling Team steps forward with new colours, new investors, new leadership and a clear mission for 2026: compete to win, and do so with a distinctly Spanish imprint on the sport’s biggest stage.
