September 15, 2025 | 10:14 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pro-Palestine demonstrations in Spain led to the cancellation of the final stage of the Vuelta a España bicycle race, with Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard declared the overall winner. Al Jazeera reported that police clashed with demonstrators in Madrid on Sunday.
Protesters blocked key sections of the race route, crossing metal barriers and taking to the streets, prompting a heavy police presence. The race organizers confirmed the early suspension of the event.
"The race is over," a spokesperson said.
Spanish authorities estimated that around 100,000 pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through Madrid that day. The protests have repeatedly targeted the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team, owned by Israeli-Canadian real estate developer Sylvan Adams, over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Adams, who serves as president of the World Jewish Congress in Israel, has been described by the organization as “committed to promoting Israel’s global image.”
Over the past weeks, the demonstrations disrupted multiple stages. Some cyclists even threatened to quit after barricades caused accidents on the track. In Bilbao, the 11th stage of the race was neutralized with no winner announced after protesters blocked the finish line.
On Tuesday, hundreds forced the 16th stage in Galicia to be shortened following confrontations with police.
More than 1,000 officers were deployed in Madrid to secure the end of the 21-day race, originally scheduled to conclude at 07:00 PM local time. While organizers ruled out canceling early stages, they suggested Israel-Premier Tech withdraw to ensure the safety of other teams.
Lily Mayers, a freelance journalist, described the scene to Al Jazeera: “Thousands of protesters gathered with flags and banners supporting Palestine. Around 06:30 PM, the crowd surged into the streets, knocking down barricades and clashing with police. The authorities responded with tear gas to disperse them.”
Spain has taken notable political steps in recent weeks, including withdrawing its ambassador from Tel Aviv, barring two far-right Israeli ministers from entering, and officially recognizing the state of Palestine last year.
Sports Minister Pilar Alegria argued that the Israeli team should be banned from international competition, likening it to restrictions imposed on Russian teams after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
She said allowing them to compete showed a “double standard”.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israel-Premier Tech for continuing in the competition despite protests.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also voiced support for the demonstrators. Speaking at a Socialist Party event in Malaga, he said: “Today marks the end of the Vuelta.“
"Spain today shines as an example and as a source of pride, an example to an international community where it sees Spain taking a step forward in the defence of human rights.”
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