A number of riders have spoken out following an incident on stage 10 of the Vuelta a España, where pro-Palestine protesters entered the road as the peloton was passing, causing at least one rider to crash and others to have to swerve or slow.
The incident was not shown on the TV broadcast, but a video of what happened circulated on social media on Tuesday evening. In the video, a large group of supporters with flags are seen at the side of the road, and a handful then stepped into the road as the peloton approached.
Police officers attempted to tackle the protesters out of the way, but the riders in the peloton had to take evasive action to avoid them. At least one rider, Intermarché-Wanty’s Simone Petilli, crashed because of the incident.
🇵🇸| La Vuelta Euskal Herrian barrena dabil gaur eta bihar, @IsraelPremTech talde sionistaren presentziaren aurkako protesten erdian. Begira zer gertatu den Irunberrin.GENOZIDAK EZ DIRA ONGI ETORRIAK EUSKAL HERRIAN! #LaVuelta25 #StopGazaGenocideNOW pic.twitter.com/rimAvHPRToSeptember 2, 2025
Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-QuickStep) also weighed in, asking for protests to be carried out in a non-disruptive way.
“We fully acknowledge that everyone has the right to protest. However, we kindly ask that this be done in a safe manner,” he said on X. “Our focus here is on our sport, not on politics or any particular position in this matter. I respectfully urge you not to endanger either us or yourselves.”
The race has not commented on the incident, and it is not clear whether arrests were made on Tuesday.
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