'A surreal day' - Informal podium ceremony for Vingegaard after protests stop Vuelta

There was no formal podium ceremony amid the marble fountains of the Plaza Cibeles for Jonas Vingegaard, but his Visma | Lease a Bike team put on an ad hoc version for the Vuelta a España winner at the team hotel later on Sunday evening.

It was that kind of the day and it’s been that kind of Vuelta. The race has been the site of daily demonstrations against Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza, and in Madrid on Sunday, the sheer volume of protestors caused the cancellation of the final stage with 58km remaining.

It was the third time a stage was brought to a premature end on this Vuelta and it also marked the abrupt end to the race, though the sporting contest had already been resolved atop Bola del Mundo on Saturday, when Vingegaard sealed overall victory with his third stage win of the race

Authorities in Madrid claimed beforehand that they had put in place the city’s biggest security operation since the 2022 NATO summit, but it was clear from early on Sunday that there was a very serious chance that the Vuelta would not be able to complete its course.

It wasn’t entirely surprising when the peloton wheeled to a halt with 58km to go, but it was striking that there was precious little communication from the Vuelta organisation, save for an announcement that the podium ceremony had been cancelled.

As police clashed with protestors, Vingegaard and the Vuelta peloton drifted towards their team buses and their hotels, without any of the pomp and ceremony associated with the grand finale to a Grand Tour.

Later on Sunday, however, an impromptu podium ceremony was arranged at Visma’s hotel, with the rest of the podium finishers and the Vuelta’s other prize winners also in attendance. 

According to Danish broadcaster TV2, podium finishers João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), as well as green jersey Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), king of the mountains Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and white jersey Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech) were all in attendance. So too were the entire UAE and Visma teams.

“It’s a fun podium and in a way probably more special than anything else I’ve experienced. The whole day has been surreal,” Vingegaard told TV2.

“I have to admit that I was somehow disappointed not to be celebrated in the centre of Madrid. But this could also be something. It’s different, of course, but also a cool way to be celebrated.”

Vingegaard explained that the informal podium ceremony had taken shape after discussions between Visma, Q36.5, UAE and Lidl-Trek.

“We asked if we shouldn’t try to do something anyway, because we thought it was a shame that nothing was happening,” he said. “So in a way it’s great that we can still do it. It’s a shame that it’s under these circumstances, but it’s great that we could still do just a little bit.”

The Vuelta has been marked by repeated protests against Israel-Premier Tech’s participation amid Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza. Over 64,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians, have been killed since Israel invaded Gaza almost two years ago in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks, which killed more than 1,200 people.

Stages 11 and 16 were cut short by human rights demonstrations, while the Valladolid time trial on stage 18 was reduced to 12.2km due to security concerns beforehand. Clashes between police and protestors also contributed to crashes on stages 10 and 15.

Speaking in the third week, Vingegaard acknowledged that he could understand why the protestors had targeted the Vuelta, though he called for peaceful demonstrations rather than disruption to the race.

“It’s a pity that such a moment of eternity was taken from us,” Vingegaard said in a statement released by Visma on Sunday evening. “I’m really disappointed about that. I was looking forward to celebrating this overall win with my team and the fans. Everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that influences or endangers our race.”

Vingegaard was the favourite for the Vuelta after finishing second at the Tour de France in July, and he began the race with two stage wins in the opening week. He reclaimed the red jersey in the second week, but he was also affected by illness. 

A subdued showing the Valladolid time trial meant Almeida remained in contention until the final weekend, but Vingegaard resisted his forcing at Bola del Mundo before forging clear to cap overall victory with a solo stage win.

“I am extremely proud of this overall victory – my first Vuelta and the third Grand Tour of my career,” Vingegaard said. “It has been three tough weeks. I felt very strong in the first week and managed to win twice. Then I had a more difficult period, but fortunately I came back in the final weekend. My stage win at Bola del Mundo gave me great satisfaction. It was a beautiful way to crown this Vuelta.”