Scott replaces Factor as bike supplier to rebranded NSN Cycling Team

Scott will supply bikes to NSN Cycling Team in 2026 following the withdrawal of previous bike partner Factor.

In a statement on Wednesday, Scott announced that it has agreed a “multi-year sponsorship deal” with NSN Cycling Team, which was known as Israel-Premier Tech until last month. Scott supplied bikes to Q36.5 for the past three seasons, but Tom Pidcock’s squad will race on Pinarello in 2026.

Israel-Premier Tech’s presence at the Vuelta a España was the subject of repeated human rights protests amid Israel’s invasion of Gaza, prompting both Premier Tech and Factor to state that their backing was untenable unless the squad moved away from its Israeli identity.

The team subsequently confirmed that it would rebrand for 2026 and race under a Swiss WorldTour licence, but Premier Tech announced its withdrawal last month, while Factor has also followed suit.

Spanish sports and entertainment company NSN has since taken over the team’s licence, while backing is also being provided by Swiss asset management firm Stoneweg. On Monday, NSN announced the signing of Biniam Girmay, who departs Intermarché ahead of its merger with Lotto.

“With our long racing heritage, we celebrate Scott’s return to the UCI WorldTour with the team, where our world-class products will support these talented athletes to perform on the sport’s biggest stages,” said Scott CEO Pascal Ducrot, confirming news that was reported by journalist Daniel Benson last month. 

The Switzerland-based company returns to the WorldTour for the first time since 2020, having previously supplied bikes to top-level teams such as Mitchelton-Scott, Saunier Duval and HTC-Columbia.

The arrival of Scott continues the rebrand of the former Israel-Premier Tech team, which is managed by Kjell Carlström, but there are still details to be clarified ahead of the 2026 season.

Star rider Derek Gee has sought to terminate his contract with the team, citing “a safety and personal-belief standpoint that weighed heavily on [his] conscience.” The case is currently before the UCI’s arbitral board, though Gee has revealed that the team is seeking €30 million in damages.

The links between former owner Sylvan Adams and the current iteration of the team have also not been clearly defined. Although the team insisted that Adams was stepping back from his day-to-day role and would no longer serve as a spokesperson, Escape Collective reported that the Canadian-Israeli businessman was present at NSN’s recent training camp in Spain.

Wednesday’s press release, meanwhile, described an Adams-funded project in Rwanda as being “at the heart of the team.” In 2023, Adams launched a cycling centre in Bugesera together with Israel-Premier Tech co-owners Kevin Ham and Ron Baron.

NSN said: “At the heart of the team is the Racing For Change project - a commitment to changing lives through the power of cycling - which includes the development of the Field of Dreams bike center in Bugesera, Rwanda which has changed the lives of thousands of youth since its inauguration in 2023.”