The Spain Tour takes a very exciting course for the cycling professionals, in the overall ranking the Dane Jonas Vingegaard leads after 12 out of 21 stages with a lead of just 50 seconds ahead of João Almeida from Portugal. But more attention than the sport in this 80th Vuelta attracts the large-scale protests pro-Palestinian groups. They are directed against the participation of the Israel Prime Minister Tech team. The Spanish party Izquierda Unida (United Left) had already pushed to the fact that Israel Prime Minister Tech had been unloaded.
There have already been three dangerous incidents.
During the team time trial on the fifth stage, Pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to fill the road and span posters, while the drivers of the Israeli team rush at 70 km / h. Just because the professionals braked and responded prudently could prevent a catastrophe.
Daryl Impey, one of the sporting director of Israel Prime Minister Tech, said: “Many boys were shaken by the incident. It was a shock for us. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, which is okay. However, it becomes difficult if you put our lives at risk when the drivers drive at this speed.” On Tuesday there was also a fall caused by activists on the tenth stage.
It became particularly critical on Wednesday before the final of the eleventh stage in the Basque capital Bilbao. In the finish area, hundreds of demonstrators gathered with sometimes huge Palestine cars, some even broke through the barrier grids to storm onto the street. With speech choirs they challenged a “free palestine” and held up signs on which the same message could be read.
Because the final consisted of a two -time circuit for Bilbao, the drivers should have passed the demonstrators twice. The peloton was still able to pass the first passage, even if the police only made it difficult to hold back the protesters. But because more and more people were pushing on the street, the race management decided to demolish for security reasons. There was no day winner, the timing stopped three kilometers before the finish. The drivers were immediately led to their buses, and the honor for the jersey beams was not available. The Basque police According to the Spanish media, three arrests had occurred in the protests. Four police officers were injured in the incidents.
The unusual final was a fiasco: for the city of Bilbao, which had paid up to 130,000 euros to be a stage. For the external presentation of the Vuelta. And for the drivers who had to cope with a very strenuous stage with many climbs. Even before the penultimate mountain ranking, pro-Palestinian activists had drawn attention to themselves, said the two-time tour winner Vingegaard. “We could snake past them.” During the first passage of the target, he found the situation much more threatening, but overall the police did a good job.
But the Dane did not understand understanding for the demonstrators: “This is the wrong place for your protests. What do you want from us cyclists?” He spoke of a “shame”, especially since he believes that he could have won the stage on his son’s first birthday. He also has an untrue feeling about the progress of the race: “It is unpredictable what will happen in the next few days. I hope we can continue.”
