Espana

Riders have crashed as a result of the protests, with some saying they have been worried for their safety.

Last week, Israel-Premier Tech began racing in modified jerseys which did not display their team name.

Organisers said: “It is still unknown whether there will be a winning ceremony with the situation as it is, with thousands of protesters filling downtown Madrid.

“The race has been officially ended and Jonas Vingegaard is the winner.”

Clashes continued after the race was abandoned, with protesters throwing bottles of water and other objects at police.

Race organisers had already shortened the 21st and final stage of the Vuelta from 111.6km to 103.6km.

Organisers did not specify a reason for the section removed, which would have crossed the plush Madrid neighbourhood of Aravaca.

Cycling journalist Brian Smith told BBC Sport: “They realised [there could be disruption] a few days ago when the protesters stopped a stage going into Bilbao.

“So there was always a contingency in place and the riders all voted to ride into Madrid. They knew something may happen”.

The protests come in the wake of the Israeli military launching a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Speaking before Sunday’s final stage, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he admired the protesters.

“Today marks the end of the Vuelta,” Sanchez told a socialist party rally in the southern city of Malaga. “Our respect and recognition for the athletes and our admiration for the Spanish people who are mobilising for just causes like Palestine.”

Madrid’s Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said Sanchez’s comments were to blame for causing the abandonment.

“[It is] violence that the prime minister is directly responsible for due to his statements this morning instigating the protests,” he said.

“Today is the saddest day since I became mayor of this great city.”

The Vuelta a Espana, the third and final three-week Grand Tour of the year, is currently taking place in Spain – but will it make it to Sunday’s finish line in Madrid?

Pro-Palestinian protesters have disrupted the race on several occasions and with riders saying they are worried for their safety, there have been suggestions the competitors might quit the Vuelta before the final stage.

Asked whether the race should be ended early, the Vuelta organisers – who have had to shorten a number of stages – insisted there is “no Plan B” and that the race will continue until it reaches its conclusion in the Spanish capital.

“We are going to continue with La Vuelta,” said race director Javier Guillen, who added that the disruptions were “illegal”.

However, Thursday’s time trial was reduced from 27.2km to 12.2km to ensure “greater protection” for the riders.

The focus of the protests has been Israel-Premier Tech, the sponsors of a team which includes several British riders. The team changed to a kit that does not feature the team name midway through the race.

The team have requested to compete as ‘IPT’ in WorldTour races in Canada this week in an attempt to avoid disruption caused by protesters.

The protests come in the wake of the Israeli military launching a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Ending a Grand Tour early would be unprecedented. With just four stages remaining – including a huge, mountainous challenge on the penultimate day – the outcome of the race is still undecided.

Italy’s Filippo Ganna won a shortened individual time trial on stage 18 of the Vuelta a Espana as Britain’s Tom Pidcock retained his third place in the overall standings.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Joao Almeida, who is second in the general classification, took 10 seconds off the advantage of overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard.

The stage was reduced from 27.2km to 12.2km to ensure “greater protection” for riders because of security concerns resulting from a series of pro-Palestinian protests during the three-week race.

Police numbers were also ramped up, with hundreds of protestors waving flags along the route and whistling riders from Israel-Premier Tech.

And French news agency AFP reported that two protestors were detained for trying to jump over barriers.

Two-time world time trial champion Ganna, 29, lived up to his billing as the favourite, with the Ineos Grenadiers rider edging out Australian Jay Vine by a second in Valladolid.

“Obviously, with the news of the change in the parcours [route] last night it was a bit strange, but I tried to do the best today,” said Ganna, who was 10 seconds quicker than anyone else over the final four kilometres.

“The first part I didn’t find the correct rhythm and in the final I tried to push over without thinking of the numbers. I am really happy for today.”

While Ganna’s fast finish ensured he pipped Vine, all eyes were focused on the battle at the top of the general classification.

Almeida finished strongly to put time into Visma-Lease A Bike’s Vingegaard and the Portuguese rider now sits 40 seconds behind the Dane with two competitive stages of racing remaining.

Q36.5 Pro Cycling’s Pidcock finished 29 seconds behind Ganna but managed to extend his advantage over Australian Jai Hindley in the battle for the final podium spot by three seconds.

With a relatively flat 161.9km run from Rueda to Guijuelo scheduled for Friday, it raises the prospect of a huge day in the mountains on Saturday’s penultimate stage with a summit finish on the Bola del Mundo.

France’s Egan Bernal won stage 16 of the Vuelta a Espana that had to be shortened by eight kilometres because of pro-Palestinian protests.

Protests aimed at the Israel-Premier Tech team have disrupted several stages of this year’s race, including stage 11 which was shortened without a winner last week.

However, on Tuesday, the race directors decided the winner and took times early after “a big protest at three km before the finish line”.

The stage was scheduled to run along a 168km stretch from Poio to Castro de Herville before it was cut short.

In Sunday’s stage 15, a protestor caused a minor crash that involved Spain’s Javier Romo, who abandoned this year’s race on Tuesday saying he was “not feeling very well, mentally or physically”.

The 26-year-old Movistar rider had suffered “only bruises” during the fall and was able to complete the race on Sunday but quit with 80km to go in stage 16.

The team time trial in stage five was also disrupted when the Israel-Premier Tech team, owned by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, were stopped on the road by a group of protesters holding Palestinian flags.

Bernal, riding for Ineos Grenadiers, secured the victory on stage 16 in three hours, 35 minutes and 10 seconds, finishing ahead of Spanish rider Mikel Landa.

France’s Brieuc Rolland took third place while British rider Finlay Pickering, 22, finished eighth.

Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard remains top of the general classification with Joao Almeida 48 seconds behind, while Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock sits third.

Friday will see another medium mountain stage stretching 143km from O Barco de Valdeorras to Ponferrada.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Portugal’s Joao Almeida outpaced overall leader Jonas Vingegaard to win the gruelling 13th stage of the Vuelta a Espana – as the race was again disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Almeida of UAE Team Emirates-XRG took over the lead from team-mate Felix Grossschartner with less than six kilometres to go to the summit finish at the Alto de Angliru.

The Portuguese and Vingegaard, the top two in the general classification, then broke away from Jai Hindley and 2023 winner Sepp Kuss with three kilometres to the summit before the duo battled it out in for the stage win up the steep ascent.

Earning bonus seconds with his first stage win at the Vuelta, Almeida closed the gap to Visma-Lease a Bike’s Vingegaard to 46 seconds in the overall rankings.

“This is a special one, I still don’t believe it,” Almeida said.

“I just put my pace from the bottom and I just did my bit the best I could. Jonas was always on my wheel. We were both on the limit and I was waiting for his attack anytime.

“I think this is the hardest climb in the world, its crazy, I’m really sore.”

Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock remains third overall despite finishing seventh in the stage, but he is now two minutes 18 seconds off two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard.

Australia’s Hindley, who took third in the 202.7km ride from Cabezon de la Sal to Alto de L’Angliru, sits fourth in the general classification.

Protesters waving Palestinian flags disrupted the stage before the climb to Angliru, affecting lead riders Jefferson Cepeda, Bob Jungels, and Nico Vinokurov.

The stoppage lasted a few seconds before security intervened.

“We were slowed down a bit by a demonstration during the race, but that didn’t change anything – we knew we would be caught by the best,” said Vinokurov, who held a three-minute lead over the peloton before the disruption.

The race organisers were forced to end stage 11 without a winner on Wednesday because of protests.

Meanwhile, the Asturias government boycotted Friday’s stage while urging Israel-Premier Tech to pull out of the race.

Stage 13 finished in Asturias, with two more stages on Saturday and Sunday also passing through the principality.

Gimena Llamedo, vice-president of the principality, said “it would be best for everyone” if Israel-Premier Tech withdrew from this year’s Vuelta.

“We don’t have the capacity to prevent your participation,” Llamedo said.

“Not even the government of Spain has it. But what we can and want to do is express our disagreement.”

After stage 11, the team, owned by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, said pulling out of the race would “set a dangerous precedent” in cycling.

“We must not be impassive or indifferent to what is happening in Gaza. It is a matter of conscience, of mere humanity,” said Llamedo, urging the protesters not to endanger the safety of the cyclists or disrupt the race.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,231 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The ministry also says 370 people have so far died during the war as a result of malnutrition and starvation, including three over the past 24 hours.

Spain’s Juan Ayuso held off Javier Romo to win stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana in a breakaway as Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall race lead.

Ayuso, 22, who also won stage seven and is leaving UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the end of the season, was joined by his compatriot as he tried to go solo on the final climb of the day, about 26km from the finish of the 144.9km route from Laredo to Los Corrales de Buelna.

Romo finished second and France’s Brieuc Rolland crossed in third, before Victor Campenaerts led home a 16-man group that formed from a larger contingent of over 40 escapees earlier in the day.

“I had already won a stage and he had to pull more if he wanted to win the stage,” Ayuso told TNT Sports.

“I was told from the car to play it like this. It is not something I really enjoy, not co-operating fully, but sometime you have to play it smart.

“I knew how to time my sprint and I timed it perfectly.”

Vingegaard was flanked by his Visma-Lease a Bike team-mates as he came home over six minutes later, along with other GC favourites including Joao Almeida and Britain’s Tom Pidcock.

The final 100 metres to the line was marked by a show of pro-Palestinian protest flags, but there was no repeat of stage 11 when racing was affected and curtailed three kilometres before the finish in Bilbao.

That had led to race technical director Kiko Garcia reportedly discussing the Israel-Premier Tech team, external in the context of the safety of the rest of the peloton.

Friday’s 13th stage is the second longest in this year’s Vuelta at 202.7km and it should see the general classification race ignite on the final climb, a brutal summit finish on the Angliru where gradients will ramp up above 20%.

There was no winner on stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana as race organisers ended Wednesday’s racing three kilometres before the finish line because of pro-Palestinian protesters.

The announcement about the early finish on what was supposed to be a 157.4km stage in Bilbao came with about 20 kilometres to go.

“Due to some incidents at the finish line, we have decided to take the time at three kilometres before the line,” said the race director on Radio Vuelta.

“We won’t have a stage winner. We will give the points for the mountain classification and the intermediate sprint, but not on the finish line.”

Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock and overall leader Jonas Vingegaard were at the front when the stage was ended.

The UCI said it “strongly condemns” the “actions that led to the cancellation of the 11th stage”.

“Major international sporting events embody a spirit of unity and dialogue, transcending differences and divisions,” said a statement from world cycling’s governing body.

“The UCI reaffirms its commitment to the political neutrality, independence, and autonomy of sport, in accordance with the founding principles of the Olympic movement.”

Pidcock made a move on the final climb and Vingegaard was the only rider able to go with him.

“It is hard to describe the disappointment to be honest. I felt like today was my day,” said Pidcock.

Vingegaard said: “It’s my son’s birthday – he’s one year old today so I wanted to win for him.

“We worked all day for it and to not get the chance is obviously a big shame.”

Prior to stage 11, riders had met for a safety meeting, while the Professional Cyclists’ Association had called for better security at an event at which the Israel-Premier Tech team have been targeted.

On stage five, the Israel-Premier Tech team were held up by protestors holding pro-Palestinian flags and banners.

Italian rider Simone Petilli also fell on stage 10 when protestors ran on to the road.

“I understand that is not a good situation, but yesterday I crashed because of a protest on the road,” wrote Petilli on social media.

“Please, we are just cyclists and we are doing our job, but if it will continue like this our safety is not guaranteed any more, and we feel in danger! We just want to race.”

Following stage 11, Pidcock said: “Putting us in danger isn’t going to help your cause.”

The UCI statement added that it “expresses its full solidarity and support to the teams and their staff, as well as to the riders” who they said “must be able to exercise their profession and passion in optimal conditions of safety and serenity”.

Israel’s military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 63,633 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Stage 12 of 21 on Thursday is scheduled to take place over 144.9km from Laredo to Los Corrales de Buelna.

Great Britain’s Ben Turner produced a stunning sprint finish at the Vuelta a Espana to claim his first ever Grand Tour stage win.

Turner won the fourth stage of the race – a 206.7km medium mountain route from Susa to Voiron – from Belgian duo Jasper Philipsen and Edward Planckaert, who finished second and third.

The 26-year-old – a late call up to the Vuelta when Ineos team-mate Lucas Hamilton pulled out through illness – powered to victory on a long, rising finish.

“It’s a crazy feeling. I really believed in myself today and trusted what I had to do,” said Turner, who picked up his third win as a professional.

France’s David Gaudu, who won the third stage, leads the overall standings having finished enough places in front of Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark to take the red jersey on count-back.

More to follow.

British cyclist Finlay Pickering took a 200km taxi ride and arrived without his luggage following a flight delay to accept a late call-up for his first Vuelta a Espana.

The 22-year-old was called upon to replace injured Bahrain Victorious team-mate Damiano Caruso less than 24 hours before the start of Saturday’s opening stage.

Pickering, only able to take the call after being late to head out on a training ride, travelled in a taxi from Andorra to Toulouse before flying to Turin.

A delay meant he arrived at the race with only the contents of his hand luggage – although fortunately that included his shoes.

It was far from ideal preparation for the Yorkshireman’s first stage at a Grand Tour race, but he managed to finish stage one in 153rd place.

“It was actually really lucky. I had a problem with a pair of training wheels and they were in a bike shop so I was a bit late going out training,” Pickering explained.

“I was on the way to pick them up when I got a call from management saying: How quickly can I be in an airport?

“The first flight was delayed, so I didn’t get my suitcase. But at least I managed to pack two pairs of shoes [in my hand luggage] so I can start.

“I’ve got a set of boxers, a set of socks, and the team are really good at looking after me, so no stress.”

He added, speaking before starting the Vuelta: “I’m pretty ready. I’m a bike rider and this is a bike race, after all – even if it’s a pretty big one.”

Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen won the first red jersey of this year’s Vuelta a Espana after taking victory on the opening stage in a sprint finish.