Organisers of the Vuelta a Espana were forced to neutralise the finish of stage 11 with three kilometres remaining due to the scale of pro-Palestine protests taking place in Bilbao.
Protestors have targeted the Israel-Premier Tech team throughout the race, whose co-owner, Sylvan Adams, has been outspoken in referring to himself as the “self-appointed Ambassador at large for the state of Israel.”
The Basque Country — a region in northern Spain and southern France — has a long history of solidarity with Palestinians, with hundreds of protestors lining the final kilometres into the finish line in the city centre.
Protestors had already targeted the team during the team time trial on stage five, forcing the squad to virtually come to a complete stop as they blocked the road with a banner. IPT was later awarded 15 bonus seconds by the commissaires due to the disruption.
One week later, protestors on the route caused Intermarche-Wanty’s Simone Petilli to crash while taking evasive action.
“I understand that is not a good situation, but yesterday I crashed because of a protest on the road,” Petilli posted on social media on Wednesday. “Please, we are just cyclists and we are doing our job, but if it will continue like this, our safety is not guaranteed anymore, and we feel in danger! We just want to race.”
Protestors clashed with race organisers
Before stage 11, rider representatives met with race organisers to discuss rider safety during the race, with further protests aimed at IPT taking place over the coming weeks.
The entire peloton was stopped by a protest during the opening kilometres of Wednesday’s stage, while a demonstrator’s banner disrupted the leaders’ ascent of the Alto del Vivero.
Meanwhile, up the road, hundreds more protesters lined the final kilometre of the route. With organisers and Spanish police unable to guarantee the riders’ safety, a decision was taken with around 20 minutes of the stage remaining to neutralise the stage with three kilometres to go.
Race leader Jonas Vingegaard and British climber Tom Pidcock had established a small lead over their general classification rivals over the final climb — they were slowed by a motorbike on the approach into Bilbao, with times taken from the road rather than the finish line. No official stage win was awarded.
Pidcock continued through the neutral zone to pass under the finish line, appearing to make a point, having been the favourite to win the stage with three kilometres remaining.
“Slight disappointment, to be honest,” Pidcock, 26, said. “There should always be a finish line. I knew the finish was at 3km but I didn’t know when 3km was. It’s not easy. I think the Vuelta did what they could to keep up safe. I don’t want to say anything political, I’m going to get in trouble.
“A lot of people have held back from saying anything publicly but it’s a bit scary sometimes in the peloton. I think as long as our safety is first, then we can continue racing.
“I think that putting us in danger isn’t going to help your cause. Everyone has the right to protest whatever they want, but putting us in danger is not the way forward. From what I was told, today was going to be the biggest day of protestors.”
It is likely that Vuelta organisers will come under increasing pressure to withdraw IPT over the coming days due to the level of disruption and impact on rider safety.
The Vuelta remains near the Basque Country on Thursday, with a medium mountain stage beginning in the nearby Cantabrian town of Laredo.
(Photos: Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)