The most chaotic Vuelta ends in chaos

BarcelonaThe most politicized Vuelta a España of all time ended prematurely. With 57 km to go, riders climbed into their team vehicles as pro-Palestinian protesters managed to block the road. The final stage, finishing in Madrid, was expected to be complicated by a demonstration against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, and that's exactly what happened. The war in Gaza, currently at the center of the political agenda, also took center stage in this race due to the presence of this team owned by a businessman close to the Netanyahu government. As the race progressed and more news of civilian deaths in Gaza arrived, tensions grew at the Vuelta. In the end, the race was unable to complete its route, as the organizers feared.

With the road closed, the organizers tried to find alternatives, even resuming the race, but it was impossible. The police were unable to control the protesters, and the Vuelta was declared over. As the riders climbed into their vehicles, thousands of people lined the road at the stage finish line, chanting against the Israeli government. A rare triumph for Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard (Visma), who adds another success to his already impressive list of achievements after taking the most chaotic and politicized edition of the Spanish race. This is the third major race won by the 28-year-old, having already won two Tours de France. The Dane celebrated his success at the hotel after dark, when the teams set up a makeshift podium with coolers. The official podium had been surrounded by protesters.

But if this 80th edition of the Vuelta will be remembered for anything, it will be for the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, owned by Sylvan Adams, a businessman close to the Netanyahu government. Adams, who was present at the race, didn't help matters with his attacks on Pedro Sánchez's government or by stating that not much could be expected from the Basques, since ETA was an ally of Palestinian groups in the 1970s. The organizers recalled how the team qualified based on its sporting merits and, therefore, they couldn't qualify. The International Cycling Union, unlike what it did with Russian teams, also doesn't sanction Israeli teams. So the Vuelta decided to do nothing.

In recent days, cyclists had doubted that it would be possible to finish the race due to road closures and the presence of thousands of people demonstrating. In fact, they had voted during the week to let it go in case of road closures, as happened today. Some stages, such as Bilbao, had been shortened by a few kilometers as the cyclists were already climbing the final stretch, but nothing compared to what happened in Madrid, where protesters clashed with police as they entered the fenced-off area. A total of 22 national police officers were injured with bruises of varying severity, with two people arrested. Another 1,100 National Police officers and another 400 Civil Guard officers had been deployed to monitor the final stage.

The incidents have sparked a heated political exchange. Hours earlier, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez had stated that he has "admiration for the Spanish people who mobilize for just causes like Palestine." Sánchez had also expressed his "absolute appreciation and respect" for the athletes participating in the Vuelta. The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, took advantage of this and had Vuelta director Javier Guillén invited to the organization's car. She later accused Sánchez of causing "a kale borroka" in Madrid.

Madrid Mayor José Luís Martínez Almeida also spoke out: "I find it incredible to have to see that the streets of Madrid have been blocked and that La Vuelta couldn't finish in Cibeles. Violence has triumphed over sport, and I hold the Prime Minister responsible. In Madrid, the Vuelta got out of hand on the return leg of the stage, and the Prime Minister got out of hand, giving a shameful image of our country," said Martínez Almeida. "We demand that the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior firmly condemn the violent perpetrators. What happened is the fruit and result of the hatred and violence that have been irresponsibly encouraged in recent days by leaders of the left, by government leaders, and especially today by the Prime Minister," the mayor added. On social media, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijoo also joined the criticism.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also spoke out, accusing Pedro Sánchez of inciting the demonstrations: "The pro-Palestinian mob listened to the inciting messages and attacked the Vuelta Ciclismo. Thus, the sporting event that had always been a source of pride for Spain was canceled." Meanwhile, Minister and Sumar politician Yolanda Díaz Pérez explained that "Spanish society does not tolerate the normalization of genocide in Gaza at sporting and cultural events. Israel cannot participate in any event. We fully support the mobilizations for the Palestinian people during the Vuelta Ciclismo. Our citizens are an example of dignity."

The final stage was a 106.6 km route, starting in Alalpardo at 4:30 p.m., followed by ten laps of the traditional Castellana circuit, with the corresponding ten finish lines. The Vuelta organizers shortened the distance by 5 km on this final day for "traffic reasons," to avoid crossing the A-6. In the penultimate stage, yesterday, Saturday, a person was arrested accused of attacking a police officer at one of the protests, a sit-in 18 km from the finish line that temporarily halted the race's convoy of vehicles and forced the riders to negotiate the roadblock.