The protests during the cycling race La Vuelta a España against Israel have had political repercussions. The world governing body of the sport, International Cycling Union (UCI under its French initials) has sent a harsh statement condemning not only the protests that caused the final stage to be abandoned 60 km before the finish line when thousands of people invaded the streets, but the Spanish government, which has "supported actions that could hinder the smooth running of a sporting competition and, in some cases, expressed their admiration for the demonstrators".
UCI claims this position is "contradictory to the Olympic values of unity, mutual respect, and peace" and even "calls into question Spain's ability to host major international sporting events, ensuring that they take place in safe conditions and in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Charter".
Besides the annual Vuelta, next year's Tour de France will depart from Barcelona.
"Sport must remain autonomous to fulfil its role as a tool for peace", says UCI
The statement continues: "The UCI strongly condemns the exploitation of sport for political purposes in general, and especially coming from a government. Sport must remain autonomous to fulfil its role as a tool for peace. It is unacceptable and counterproductive for our sport to be diverted from its universal mission. Moreover, there are dedicated platforms where countries can discuss their differences."
UCI's message does not mention at any point that the protests were using the sport's visibility as a tool to ask for peace in Gaza, after Israel has already murdered 65,000 civilians and on Tuesday launched a ground offensive against Gaza City.
Meanwhile, the wave of condemnation against Israel from Spanish government has also reached other areas, like the official announcement from the Spanish public television that they will not go to Eurovision Song Contest if Israel also participates.