At the conclusion of La Vuelta, I'd like to speak about something that has been weighing heavily on me for the past few weeks. Spanish protests have drawn attention towards Israel–Premier Tech cycling team, increasing pressure on the UCI and other organizations to take steps to halt the use of cycling races as a platform to advertise for a genocidal state. Let me be clear: I stand completely opposed to the genocide in Gaza, and I do not wish to detract from the rightful attention on and discussion around this issue. However, I feel that we must address the fact that the most dominant team in cycling, UAE Team Emirates XRG, is sponsored by a regime that is directly fueling a horrific humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
For nearly two and a half years, violence between the SAF and the RSF has resulted in 13 million people displaced and 25 million facing acute food insecurity (x). According to the UN, Amnesty International, and reporting by the New York Times, among others, the United Arab Emirates have supplied drones, bombs, and artillery to the RSF forces. This weaponry has directly contributed to atrocities committed by the RSF, including but not limited to: targeting of civilians, widespread sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing. In January of this year, the US State Department announced that it had determined that the RSF committed genocide in the Darfur region. Furthermore, credible reporting indicates that UAE is actively using humanitarian aid operations in the region, including the internationally recognized and protected Red Crescent, as cover for weapons smuggling.
UAE Team Emirates XRG is extraordinarily successful, having won seven of the nineteen contested stages of this Vuelta and 85 total races this year. Giuseppe Saronni himself has said that the team "is the team of the whole United Arab Emirates" and that they "won't have the name of a sponsor on the jersey but that of a nation that [the team] represent[s]" (x). After winning the team time trial in stage 5, the team chanted "U-A-E! U-A-E! U-A-E!" (x). The estimated budget of the team is more than double the median World Tour team budget. Throughout this post, I have been referring to the team by its full name: UAE Team Emirates XRG. This name includes the nation itself as well as Emirates, a state-owned airline, and XRG, a state-owned energy investment company. The exceptional success of this team is inextricable from its sponsorship by the sovereign wealth fund of a nation-state. To me, it is inarguable that this professional cycling team is being used to sportswash the international reputation of the ruling regime of the United Arab Emirates.
Again, I would like to emphasize that my intent is not to draw attention away from or to dilute the impact of protests against the presence of Israel–Premier Tech in the peloton. Rather, I hope that we can broaden the discussion surrounding the use of professional cycling teams for reputation laundering and begin to reckon with the impact of nation-state sponsorship on the sport.
If you would like to donate to humanitarian aid efforts in Sudan, Charity Navigator has a list of organizations providing relief. However, international aid organizations face many barriers including entry to the country, safe transportation, and looting by both the SAF and the RSF. Mutual aid networks including community kitchens and emergency response rooms may represent a more effective avenue for aid, though these organizations face significant barriers of their own. For my part, in addition to my standing donation to MSF, I have donated $70 to Khartoum Aid Kitchen and Sururab Community Kitchen. This donation represents $10 for each stage won by UAE Team Emirates XRG in this year's Vuelta. Please consider researching and donating if you are able. If you have any questions regarding anything I've discussed in this post, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
I've included the receipts for my donations here. As I said above, if you have questions, please reach out!
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