Further pro-Palestine protests, route change on Vuelta's decisive stage

The following red jersey group later managed to make its way through the demonstration, but team cars and vehicles from the race organisation were initially unable to make their way through the blockade, which saw Guardia Civil officers clash with protestors.

Shortly before the stoppage, there had been another alteration to the course, with the organisation taking the late decision to route the race around Cercedilla due to pro-Palestine protests in the town.

The race was due to pass through Cercedilla and tackle the intermediate sprint with just under 40km remaining on stage 20 to Bola del Mundo. However, due to the volume of demonstrators on the route at Cercedilla, the organisation opted not to enter the town.

“The organisers of the Vuelta a España have decided to skip the stage through Cercedilla due to the large number of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, as there was a possibility that they would disrupt the race,” reported Spanish state broadcaster TVE.

Israel-Premier Tech’s presence in the Vuelta amid Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza has been the subject of repeated human rights demonstrations during the race. Demonstrations saw stages 11 and 16 halted prematurely, while the stage 18 time trial in Valladolid was slashed from 27.2km to 12.2km in length due to the security concerns amid the ongoing protests.

The final stage in Madrid on Sunday will see a security operation estimated to be the biggest in the capital city since the 2022 NATO summit.

Human rights protests in solidarity with Palestine have been a daily occurrence on the Vuelta. 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.

Ahead of the stoppage in Bilbao on stage 11, it emerged that multiple riders on the Vuelta had requested Israel-Premier Tech to withdraw from the race in the interests of the safety of the peloton. The call was echoed by Vuelta technical director Kiko García in Bilbao that afternoon and later by Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares.

Israel-Premier Tech, owned by Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, later confirmed that they would stay in the Vuelta, and they received a message of support from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since Saturday, the team’s riders have been racing in kit without the Israel-Premier Tech name as a safety precaution.

More to follow...