Due to the fierce protests, the stage had to be canceled. © ANSA / Miguel Tona

Pure chaos at the Vuelta: No winner after protests

Pro-Palestinian protests have once again caused a scandal at the 80th Tour of Spain and deprived the professional cyclists of a stage finale in Bilbao.

September 03, 2025

From: dpa/det

Numerous demonstrators waving Palestinian flags in the finish area prompted the race jury to call the eleventh stage of the Vuelta without a winner three kilometers from the finish. The field was briefly halted by demonstrators in the neutral zone before police were able to clear the road.

At the end of the race, Briton Tom Pidcock and overall winner Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark were leading by about ten seconds. The times at this point were used for the overall ranking, allowing Vingegaard to extend his lead.

Numerous people protested. © APA/afp / ANDER GILLENEA

However, Vingegaard was denied a third stage victory due to the incident. "It's a great shame. I could have won the stage. The police did a good job. When we crossed the finish line for the first time, we already saw what was going on," the favorite told Eurosport.

Explosive situation at the first finish line

After reaching the three-kilometer mark, the professional cyclists rolled slowly toward the finish line in Bilbao. A tense situation had already arisen during their first crossing of Bilbao. Security forces were only able to prevent the demonstrators from entering the course with great difficulty.

The stage had to be neutralized. © ANSA / Miguel Tona

There have already been several incidents in recent days. The Israel-Premier Tech racing team, in particular, has been targeted by protests. On the fifth stage, demonstrators stopped the team during the team time trial. Protests also occurred on Tuesday, resulting in the fall of Italian rider Simone Petilli.

In view of the ongoing incidents, the riders' association CPA also held talks with the race director and representatives of the world cycling association UCI before the eleventh stage.

Drivers discuss with those responsible

"We've spoken with the organization. We, the riders, know that the organizers have done everything they could in recent weeks. There are many police officers on duty," former Italian European champion Elia Viviani told the Cyclingnews portal, adding: "If everything goes peacefully, there will be no problems, and the race will continue as normal. (...) Of course, we should take action if a situation arises that is dangerous for the peloton."

The Israeli team was already subjected to isolated protests during the Tour de France because of the Middle East conflict.