Posted on 09/14/2025 7:36:49 PM PDT by WhiteHatBobby0701
The last stage of the Vuelta a España collapsed into chaos on Sunday as pro-Palestine demonstrators opposed to the presence of Israel-Premier Tech in the race succeeded in breaking onto the final finishing circuit in central Madrid.
In scenes never seen before in the modern-day final stage of a Grand Tour - and rarely in any race - thousands of demonstrators tore down barricades, burst onto the roads and forced its cancellation.
La Vuelta had already been hit by four different alterations to stages because of the pro-Palestine protests, some being partly suspended like in Bilbao on stage 11 and Castro de Herville on stage 16, and others having last-minute route changes like the stage 18 time trial and the stage 20 summit finish at Bola del Mundo. However, nothing compared with the drama, size and scale of the protests in Madrid, with police carrying out multiple charges, facing off lines of demonstrators and firing warning rounds during occasional running street battles that extended into the evening.
More than 2,200 police had been drafted in specially for a stage that had been widely predicted to be one of the most conflictive, given Madrid's size and status, as well as being the last chance to stop the race.
Given the scale of the protests and risks involved in continuing, the organisation had no choice but to formally announce the cancellation of the stage, with riders initially stopped about 56 kilometres to go (35 miles - ed. note -- the article said 60 km, but La Vuelta organisers confirmed it was 56 km from the finish), then finally climbing into their team cars in a park a few kilometres further on.
The official winner of the race, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) could be seen talking to team sports director Grischa Niermann. Vingegaard had previously said that he understood why protests were taking place, but did not condone in any way an actual disruption of the race. (ed. note -- originally labeled as the virtual winner when published because there was no declaration, the International Cycling Union (UCI) and La Vuelta officials subsequently declared Mr. Vinegaard the official winner)
High tension in Madrid
The main focus of the protest centred initially on where the 103-kilometre (64 mile) stage was due to head into central Madrid and the usual nine finishing laps. A knot of some 50 protestors ran onto the road, blocking the peloton, which at that point was riding all together in preparation for the final kilometres of the race.
The next development came as protestors tore down the barriers surrounding almost all of the 6.2 kilometres (3.8 mile) circuit, with state television RTVE saying that two demonstrators in one street jumped over at the same time and began pushing the barriers down in a "clearly coordinated action".
Local dignitaries and other figures like Prince Albert of Monaco could be seen being rushed away from the finish, while TV images also showed a visibly furious mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Almeida, talking to police as events mutated from being a simple bike race into a major political demonstration.
The main centre of the demonstrations remained focused on the start/finish area, with demonstrators jumping over barricades and moving towards the winner's podium. At one point there was a moment of high tension as masked individuals began throwing objects at police, but the situation then eased slightly as demonstrators then began staging a sit-in. Others simply walked repeatedly across the finishing line as if to emphasise that they had achieved their objective of stopping the Vuelta.
Further afield, the situation teetered on turning into a riot as police charged the demonstrators in the Plaza de Callao square three times as bottles and objects were thrown and firing warning shots into the ground. Near Atocha railway station, too, there were multiple moments of high tension.
In others areas of the circuit, in sharp contrast, the events seemed much more like a normal political protest, albeit a very noisy one involving thousands of demonstrators of all ages against the presence of Israel-Premier Tech in the race and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In October 2023 a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparked Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza. So far, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 64,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, with much of Gaza being destroyed.
Despite multiple requests for comment by media, race organisers limited themselves to promising to give interviews later in the evening. TV stations cut from live coverage of the race to live coverage of the unfolding protests.
"They say that they are not going to move," one reporter for Spanish public broadcaster RTVE said. "This is going to go on for a long time."
"We want to be peaceful, it's a mutiny against what's happening in Gaza, Madrid is rising up against that," one demonstrator told RTVE.
This is the first time a Grand Tour has been stopped before its final stage by political demonstrators since the Vuelta a España in 1978 in San Sebastian (caused by Basque protesters in the long-running Basque liberation movement).
The Prime Minister of Spain is calling for the expulsion is Israel-Premier Tech, owned by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvain Adams, have been the target of protests ever since the October 7th attacks that instigated a conflict in the region.
During the Stage 5 time trial, Premier Tech was first targeted in the team time trial (https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/israel-premier-techs-vuelta-a-espana-team-time-trial-effort-disrupted-by-protestors/)
Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares then called for Premier Tech's expulsion. (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/sep/5/spanish-minister-says-israel-cycling-team-expelled-vuelta-protest/)
Protesters in Stage 11 on the 98-mile loop in the Bilbao region of Basque country led to the stage being shortened by two miles. (https://lavueltaespana.com/news/vuelta-2025-stage-11-neutralized-protests/)
Protestors struck Stage 13, a 125-mile mountain climbing stage. Protestors ran onto the narrow country road and impeded the then three stage leaders — none of whom belonged to Israel Premier Tech — from advancing. Police removed them within seconds.
The 105-mile Stage 15 had more protesters cause crashes by three cyclists. (https://apnews.com/article/spanish-vuelta-palestine-protesters-d87f45e865f1ca6baac9009ddea9a115)
Stage 16, 104 miles, was cut to 99 miles by protesters who blocked again the finish line. (https://apnews.com/article/spanish-vuelta-propalestine-protests-bernal-1666f57596a7891fcca395727b1e0227)
Then was today's 100,000 strong protests in Madrid.
Sport as political protest by attacking Israel. What is going on? Eurovision and now cycling.
Muslim immigrants have Europe by the short hair.
Say what you like about France, and I do, at least they know how to control protestors on the race roads. There are so many police, and spectators will sometimes join in, giving the disruptors a beat down.
France has too much of its prestige tied up in the Tour de France to allow disruption.
The US-China trade talks started in Madrid today.
Disgraceful. Spain can embrace the suck of their new muslim overlords.
Many moons ago, Spain decided to allow drug use in places like a city park.
Today, the socialist/communist government could care less about anything but themselves.
When Islam invaded the Iberian peninsula, it took 800 years to remove that stench. Finally, in 1492, the last Muslim stronghold was defeated. Who is left today to challenge this latest invasion?
“Say what you like about France, and I do, at least they know how to control protestors. . ..”
At first I thought you were referring to Lt. Napoleon’s “whiff of grape.”
The prime minister is a leftist loser and encouraged the loser protestors to block the road race. Protestors cannot think of others since they are selfish. Sad. It was an awesome race before it got stopped.
it too the Spanish people over 700 years to end the last Islamic Occupation and control over Spain
looks like it will take another 700 years to do it a second time now that the Spanish Ruling Elite has sold the nation out to a new Islamic invasion
Note that according to your post the protests against Israel-Premier Tech started already in conjunction with the 7 October massacre by Hamas. That was days before Israel started its attack on Gaza. Goes to show what they really want.
The Prime Minister of Spain is calling for the expulsion is Israel-Premier Tech. That’s the same person who a few days ago gave a speech were he regretted that Spain does not posess nuclear weapons and therfore could not stop Israel’s incursion into Gaza.
It appears that the reconquista has been revoked.
The way he used a major sporting event in his country, a 3-week cycling event, to support the ideals is an example of what has happened.
Spain is the dominant country in motorcycling also. The 2025 MotoGP schedule features races in Jerez, Alcañiz (Aragon), Montmelo (Catalonia), and Cheste (Valencia).
The DP World Tour golf has the Spanish Open in October. The “tour championship” for the Ladies European Tour is the Costa del Sol Spanish Women’s Open on Thanksgiving weekend US.
The message against Israel is rampant. The train bombing in 2003 began Spain’s deep Socialist activism.
Fixed it for them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.