The director of the Vuelta a España Javier Guillén has insisted the Spanish Grand Tour did everything they could to ensure the race finished in Madrid, under obligations from police and Spanish government officials and the UCI, who insisted the Israel-Premier Tech team could stay in the race despite the growing Pro-Palestinian protests.
The last stage of the Vuelta a España ended early after a huge number of pro-Palestine protesters took to the stress, with some invading the road and even throwing barriers at police. Others tried to stop the riders as they neared the city centre finishing circuit. With no hope of controlling the crowds, Spanish police stopped the race when the riders were about to enter the circuit.
The protests and the ending of the Vuelta was headline news around the world and sparked a huge debate in Spain, where Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has backed peaceful protests against Israel’s action in Gaza. On Monday, Sánchez called for the exclusion of Israel from international sporting competitions due to the invasion of Gaza.
“We are a cycling race, we are a sport and that’s what we want to be,” Guillén said in a special press conference in Madrid on Monday.
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