Professional-Palestinian protesters interrupted the ultimate stage of the Spanish Vuelta and compelled organizers to chop the race brief on Sunday, capping a marketing campaign of disruptions to the Grand Tour biking occasion.
Visma-Lease a Bike rider Jonas Vingegaard was confirmed as the general winner of the three-week race.
There have been clashes between police and protesters close to the route finale in Madrid. Some protesters carrying anti-Israel banners partly blocked the street and compelled riders to cease.
There was no stage winner and the rostrum ceremony was known as off due to safety issues. Organizers mentioned the ultimate stage “ended early to ensure the safety of the riders.”
“Due to the protests in Madrid, the race ended earlier than planned and there will be no podium ceremony,” race officers mentioned.
Protesters block the street in an try to disrupt the twenty-first stage of the Spanish biking race La Vuelta, from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
Manu Fernandez / AP
There have been about 50 kilometers (31 miles) left on the twenty first stage that was a principally ceremonial journey into Madrid.
Vingegaard had prolonged his general lead over João Almeida on Saturday with a lead of 1 minute, 16 seconds over Almeida.
It was Vingegaard’s third Grand Tour title, including to his pair of Tour de France titles received in 2022 and 2023.
Police escort
The protesters threw boundaries onto the street on a ending circuit within the Spanish capital. Riders had been anticipated to do 9 laps on the circuit.
A number of hundred protesters stayed on the street the place the race was speculated to move by. Anti-Israel banners had been additionally hung from close by buildings.
The race had resumed briefly Sunday after riders had been initially advised by race organizers to cease due to the protests, however they finally needed to cease once more as authorities and organizers mentioned the state of affairs.
Police escorted the riders as they left the observe.
Protesters carrying Palestine flags jeered when the groups’ assist automobiles handed by them alongside the route.
Folks shout slogans and maintain Palestinian flags whereas protesting through the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta biking race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
Andrea Comas / AP
Police in riot gear had confronted protesters at completely different factors alongside the route. Greater than 1,500 law enforcement officials had been deployed forward of the final stage.
There had been no main incidents because the riders set off on the 103.6-kilometer (64.3-mile) ultimate stage beginning in close by Alalpardo.
Diplomatic battleground
The Grand Tour occasion became a diplomatic battleground and was largely disrupted by protesters towards the presence of Israeli-owned crew Premier Tech, which earlier within the race eliminated the crew identify from its uniforms.
Pier-Andre Cote from the Israel Premier Tech crew rides through the eleventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta biking race, from Bilbao to Bilbao, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025.
Miguel Oses / AP
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez joined Eire and Norway in recognizing a Palestinian state final yr, and Spain turned the primary European nation to ask a U.N. courtroom for permission to affix South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide.
Seven of the final 11 days of racing had been both reduce brief or interrupted, with greater than 20 folks detained by police. Throughout one stage, a protester carrying a Palestine flag tried to run on to the street forward of riders, inflicting two of them to crash. They continued however one in every of them needed to finally pull out of the race.
The route of the ultimate stage was reduce brief by 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) over site visitors issues.
Earlier levels had been altered due to security issues over the protests.
Authorities mentioned the heavy police presence could be deployed for the finale in Madrid so as to add to the 130 officers already touring with the race. Army-type vehicles, officers in riot gear and horse-riding police had been seen close to the route in Madrid.
Some 6,000 protesters had been anticipated within the Spanish capital on Sunday, together with about 50,000 followers.
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