Tadej Pogačar has admitted that riders are a “little scared of what could happen” during pro-Palestine protests at races, the world champion describing the demonstrations that have left the Vuelta a España teetering on the edge of collapse as a “new problem” for the peloton.
Pogačar was speaking ahead of the upcoming WorldTour one-day races in Québec and Montréal, where the UAE Team Emirates leader is set to make his first appearance since winning his fourth Tour de France in July, ahead of his rainbow jersey defence at this month’s world road race championships in Rwanda.
He told reporters that the ongoing protests at the Vuelta, targeting Israel-Premier Tech’s participation in the Spanish grand tour amid Israel’s devastating actions in Gaza, have been the subject of discussion among his teammates, with Pogačar voicing his concern that similar demonstrations could impact the Canadian races, where IPT are also taking part.
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza, Israel-Premier Tech – arguably one of the country’s most prominent sporting symbols, its name emblazoned across the riders’ jerseys – has increasingly been the focal point of demonstrations protesting its ongoing participation at cycling’s biggest races.
There were protests against Israel-Premier Tech at the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this year, both involving activists running onto the road in front of the riders, with the group behind the Tour protest accusing the race of being “complicit in genocide” and “helping restore the image of the Israeli colonial regime” by allowing Israel-Premier Tech to participate.
However, tensions have increased at the Vuelta, which has witnessed huge pro-Palestine protests on an almost daily basis, leading to two stages being curtailed and some riders crashing due to activists running onto the road.
During stage five’s team time trial, protesters stood on the road as the Israel-Premier Tech squad approached, forcing several riders to stop, while in Bilbao, a rowdy demonstration at the finish line of stage 11 prompted the organisers to stop the race with 3km to go, with no winner awarded.
Similarly chaotic scenes on stage 16’s final climb in Galicia led to another abrupt early ending and makeshift finish line (though this time, at least, Egan Bernal was able to claim the victory).
Following this series of protests, the riders held a vote on Wednesday morning, telling the organisers they will stop racing – and potentially quit the Vuelta altogether – if the demonstrations continue to disrupt the event and potentially impact their safety.
And last night, the Vuelta’s organisers announced that Thursday afternoon’s potentially race-deciding time trial in Valladolid will be shortened by 15km, due to safety concerns about expected protests in the city.
Speaking to reporters before Friday’s GP Québec, Pogačar admitted that he was worried that similar protests would impact more races before the end of the season.
“I think all the riders are a little scared of what could happen,” the world champion said. “We ride at full speed, we give it our all. This is a new problem that can happen to you.
“We don’t talk about it, especially as a peloton, but between teammates, yes. When we see what’s going on at the Vuelta, we talk about it and we think it could happen here or in other races between now and the end of the season.”
Pogačar’s concerns were echoed by Visma-Lease a Bike rider Wout van Aert, who is also in Canada for the two WorldTour races.
“At this point, a lot of riders are worried about these demonstrations but also about what is happening in the world,” the Belgian said.
“I am not really aware of what is going on here in Canada. I hope we will have a great race and a few hours of entertainment for everyone.”
Earlier this week, Van Aert’s Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard – who is currently leading the Vuelta – spoke out about the ongoing protests, which could threaten Sunday’s planned finish in Madrid, suggesting the pro-Palestine activists are “just desperate to be heard” and “do it for a reason”.
After originally arguing that the protesters’ anger was in the “wrong place” following last week’s chaos in Bilbao, Vingegaard later appeared more conciliatory in his approach to the protests.
“In relation to the discussion about the protests, you know, people do it for a reason, it’s horrible what’s happening currently and I think those protesting do so here because they need a forum to be heard,” the Dane said.
“They need the media to allow them that possibility to be heard, so they do it here. Of course in a way it’s a shame it happens exactly here, I think a lot of us (riders) think so, but again, I think they’re just desperate to be heard.”
Yesterday, a meeting involving all 23 teams participating at the Vuelta decided that racing will be stopped completely, and no winner awarded, if protesters continue to disrupt the event, while further daily votes on the issue will take place until the Vuelta ends.
“Unfortunately we’re being caught in the middle of something that maybe doesn’t even really involve us,” Bahrain-Victorious rider Jack Haig, a representative of the CPA riders’ union, said yesterday.
“And at the moment we are kind of just the pawns in a very large chess game that unfortunately is affecting us.
“We decided that if there is an incident that we would try to neutralise the race and then that would be it. In the end racing to an undefined finish line is not really fair sport.
“Yesterday it started to become a little bit uncomfortable because there were some acts to maybe deliberately try and harm the riders by cutting down trees, by putting the thumb packs on the ground to deliberately light fires. It is now starting to get a little bit uncomfortable.
“I think everyone would quite like to arrive in Madrid, but we need it to happen in a fair way where riders are safe.”
However, while the protests have been primarily aimed at Israel-Premier Tech’s presence at the Vuelta, the squad have insisted they will not leave, with billionaire team boss Sylvan Adams declaring that they will “not surrender to the terrorists”.
However, the team did drop ‘Israel’ from its kit at the weekend, citing the “dangerous nature of some protests”.
Despite what its name and branding might suggest – especially in a sport where Bahrain and the UAE also serve as title sponsors – Israel-Premier Tech is not officially state-owned. Instead, it is funded by Canadian-Israeli billionaire Adams, one of Canada’s biggest real estate investors, who emigrated to Israel in 2015.
Nevertheless, the squad has received some funding from Israel’s ministry for tourism and Adams – who attended Donald Trump’s inauguration, encouraged US attacks on Iran in June, and called on Israel to “finish the job” in Gaza – has described the team as “ambassadors” for Israel and a means of promoting a “more realistic vision” of modern Israel.
