Vuelta stage 16 stopped before finishing climb due to pro-Palestine protests

Stage 16 of the Vuelta a España was halted with 8km remaining due to a human rights demonstration on the final climb to Castro de Herville. It marks the second time that a stage of this year’s Vuelta has been stopped prematurely due to protests against the presence of Israel-Premier Tech on the race.

“We have a big protest at 3km before the line. We will decide the stage winner and take times at 8km before the line,” the organisation said over race radio as the break entered the final 20km.

Stage 11 to Bilbao was halted 3km before the finish line due to protests in the finishing straight. There was no stage winner on that occasion, though times were taken for the general classification.

On Tuesday, Egan Bernal (Ineos) outsprinted his breakaway companion Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) at the 8km to go banner to claim stage victory.

Earlier on Tuesday, police removed a tree trunk that was placed across the route in an apparent act of sabotage.

The incident took place approximately 30km from the end of Tuesday’s stage, and authorities worked swiftly to cut away the tree, which was felled outside the town of Morgadans at the foot of the penultimate climb of the Alto de Prado climb.

Images published by Spaziociclismo show the felled tree and the rapid operation to remove it from the route of the Vuelta before the passage of the race. The breakaway and the peloton later safely came through Morgadans without any interruption. 

“It’s a really complicated situation, it’s hard to digest,” O Gran Camiño director Ezequiel Mosquera told Eurosport. Mosquera was part of the local organising committee for Tuesday’s stage.

“There are things you just can’t control, there’s a sense of impotence. I wouldn’t like to be in the shoes of the organisers today. Let’s hope the race can get to Madrid. 

“They’re understandable protests. There’s nothing wrong with the motives. Unlike football, cycling is a democratic sport, it’s not in a closed sport, we take place in the open and everybody can get there. 

“I’m not going to judge the protestors because they’re obviously trying to demonstrate about something and that’s completely understandable. But it’s disappointing for the race when everybody has to stop.”

Israel-Premier Tech’s presence on the Vuelta a España has been the subject of repeated protests from human rights demonstrators due to 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 700 people.

During the team time trial in Figueres on stage 5, a group of protestors bearing Palestinian flags and a banner reading “Neutrality is Complicity. Boycott Israel” attempted to block the road the road during Israel-Premier Tech’s effort.

On stage 10, Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty) crashed after protestors spilled onto the road. The following day, stage 11 into Bilbao was neutralised with 3km to go due to a human rights demonstration in the finishing straight.

Team owner Sylvan Adams has rejected the idea of withdrawing his team from the Vuelta, though Israel-Premier Tech have since opted to remove their team name from their kit for the remainder of the race. The team received a public message of support from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Sunday evening, Vuelta leader Jonas Vingegaard had said that he could understand why pro-Palestine demonstrations were taking place along the route of the Vuelta.

“I think they think it doesn’t get enough attention and they’re really desperate and that’s why they do it here, I guess,” he said. “Of course it’s unfortunate that it has to happen here in the Vuelta. But I think they are desperate, and they want to have more attention.”

On stage 13, protestors briefly halted the break at the foot of the Angliru. On stage 15, Javier Romo (Movistar) crashed after a demonstrator attempted to run onto the route. 

On Monday, authorities in Valladolid confirmed that some 450 police officers would be deployed on the route of the stage 18 time trial due to the threat of demonstrations that could interrupt the race. 

Last week, Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares expressed support for Israel-Premier Tech’s removal from the Vuelta, telling public-service broadcaster RNE, “We have to send a message to Israel, to Israeli society.”