Esports

Barcelona strengthens its link with international cycling with the arrival of the new NSN Cycling Team, which has chosen the Catalan capital as one of its operational bases for its debut season in 2026. The Mayor, Jaume Collboni, along with the Councillor for Sport, David Escudé, chaired the official presentation of the professional team that will be replacing Israel Premier Tech and competing under the Swiss flag.

Collboni noted that “it’s excellent news that the NSN Cycling Team is starting to pedal and doing so by choosing Barcelona as a base”, particularly in a year when the city will be the global epicentre for cycling with the start of the Tour de France 2026. The Mayor affirmed that “Barcelona loves the bicycle as a sport and as a means of transport, and this amour reaches its climax in July when the world’s finest cyclists will be circulating in our streets”.

The team, promoted by the company NSN (Never Say Never) —jointly founded by Andrés Iniesta and Joel Borràs— and the investment company Stoneweg, have acquired a World Tour licence for the period 2026-2028. This guarantees its presence in the great events on the calendar, such as the Tour de France, the Giro d’Itàlia and the Vuelta a España for at least three seasons.

The presentation also unveiled the new official jersey and featured the cycling star Biniam Girmay.

This new alliance consolidates Barcelona as a key city for professional cycling and reinforces its central role in a historical year shaped by the Grand Départ del Tour 2026.