La Vuelta a España ended on Sunday with protests against Israel on a daily basis since Day 5, the team time trial, where the whole Israel-Premier Tech team was halted when pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the road. The climax happened in Madrid, when tens of thousands of protesters blocked the road and the race had to be abandoned 60 km before the finish line.
Javier Guillén, director of La Vuelta, was very critical with protesters on a press conference on Monday, and defended their stance about not expelling Israel-Premier Tech. "There isn't a single international federation that has vetoed the presence of Israeli athletes or teams, nor has any country or institution" he said, explaining that they guide by the principles of International Cycling Federation, UCI (via RTVE).
"Just as we respect the right to demonstrate, we ask and demand that those who compete, work, and attend the competition be respected", adding that the cyclists always reaffirmed their desire to continue with the race.
"The images speak for themselves. What happened is unacceptable. We can't draw anything good from what happened yesterday, and I deeply regret the image it gave. I don't think it should be repeated", he stated, lamenting that "We could have combined peaceful demonstrations with the practice of sport".
Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard, Danish cyclist from Team Visma, showed his sympathy for protesters, despite disrupting his big day. "Those who protest have their reasons. They're looking for greater visibility, and I understand that".