The last day of the most chaotic and demanding Vuelta of all time
Pedro Sánchez speaks out and praises both the protesters and the cyclists of the race, which ends today in Madrid.
BarcelonaThe Vuelta a España has managed to reach Madrid, its final destination. The 80th edition, starting in Italy and a festive atmosphere to commemorate this anniversary, has descended into complete chaos due to the presence of pro-Palestinian protesters at each stage, protesting the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, owned by Sylvan Adams, a businessman close to the Netanyahu government. For many days, cyclists doubted the possibility of finishing the race due to road closures and the presence of thousands of people demonstrating. Some stages, such as Bilbao, were shortened by a few kilometers as the cyclists were already climbing the final stretch. Others, such as the last three, were shortened a day before to make it easier for the police to control the route.
Even Spanish President Pedro Sánchez has had his say on the protests. He stated that he has "admiration for the Spanish people who mobilize for just causes like Palestine." Sánchez also expressed his "absolute recognition and respect" for the athletes participating in the Vuelta a España (Vuelta a España), which passed through Madrid on Saturday. Podemos leader Ione Belarra and Irene Montero, MEP, also participated in the protests.
1,100 National Police officers and another 400 Civil Guard officers deployed by the Spanish government delegation in Madrid will monitor the final stage. Under the slogan "The only goal: free Palestine," the Palestinian committee of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has called for peaceful protests at various points along the route via social media. Leaders of IU (United Left), Podemos (Western Left), and Más Madrid (More Madrid) have encouraged participation in the demonstrations "for the end of the genocide of the Palestinian people" and against the participation of the Israel Premier Tech team in the race.
The final stage is a 106.6 km route, departing in Alalpardo at 4:30 p.m. and arriving in Madrid at 7:39 p.m., before completing ten laps of the traditional Castellana circuit with the corresponding ten finish lines. The Vuelta organizers shortened the route by 5 kilometers on this final stage for "traffic reasons" to avoid crossing the A-6. The extraordinary police deployment is in addition to the Vuelta's regular operation, which includes 132 Civil Guard officers and more than 70 National Police officers.
In the penultimate stage, yesterday, Saturday, a person was arrested accused of attacking a police officer at one of the rallies, a sit-in 18 kilometers from the finish line that temporarily halted the race's convoy of vehicles and forced riders to avoid the roadblock.