Stage 11 of the Vuelta a España was brought to a halt in the neutral zone on Wednesday when pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the road, stopping the peloton before racing had officially begun in Bilbao.
The demonstrators carried banners and Palestinian flags and used a microphone to deliver their message before being cleared from the course. Nobody was injured in the incident, and the race resumed shortly afterwards.
The protest came amid reports that several teams had urged Israel-Premier Tech to pull out of the Vuelta due to “increased security risks.”
Unos manifestantes obligan a detener la carrera momentáneamente en la salida neutralizada.#LaVuelta25 pic.twitter.com/GEnWe7wtoG
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) September 3, 2025
ITV’s Daniel Friebe reported that a meeting between team representatives, the CPA riders’ union, and race organisers took place at the start line. “Several teams have registered their preference for Israel-Premier Tech to pull out, given the increased security risks,” he wrote.
Elia Viviani, one of the CPA representatives at the race, told him riders had said to commissaires and organisers that they would continue to race as long as the protests were peaceful. “If race gets stopped, riders will reassess,” he added.
Viviani also said that the CPA would not demand that IPT riders pull out: “We wouldn’t go against our colleagues.” Although, reports suggest that a number of riders “expressed preference” for Israel-Premier Tech to pull out of the race overnight to the CPA.
In a further update, Friebe said there was a “strong feeling among riders this morning that they want UCI to intervene. They feel exposed on an issue that’s beyond their knowledge/expertise/desire to expose private position.”
He added: “Also heard anecdotal reports of IPT riders being insulted in peloton and on group chats for their assumed political views.”
Israel-Premier Tech’s co-owner, Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams, is also said to be in the team car today, as the “team members were keen for him to see what they’re experiencing on the road.”
An activist Twitter account that shared footage of yesterday’s protest posted video of today’s neutral zone incident, writing: “First interruption of La Vuelta, today in solidarity with Palestine. The Basque Country is not a place for Zionists, out with Israel-Premier Tech and accomplices!”
Another group, which describes itself as a “revolutionary organisation of the Basque Left,” shared a poster calling on people to join the demonstrations: “[Israel] Premier-Tech’s participation whitewashes the genocide. From the Basque Country, we will loudly declare that we stand with the Palestinian people! Bring the symbols, Palestinian flags, and other such symbols!”
The tension follows Tuesday’s stage 10, when Intermarché-Wanty’s Simone Petilli crashed after protesters entered the road as the peloton rode to Belagua. The 32-year-old Italian later said he “feels in danger” and that riders are “just cyclists doing our job,” adding: “If it will continue like this our safety is not guaranteed anymore, and we feel in danger! We just want to race! Please.”
The riders’ union president Adam Hansen also wrote this morning: “The CPA wishes to express its full support to the riders following yesterday’s incident, where a protest on the road caused a crash during the race.
“We remind everyone that cyclists are not involved in political or social disputes — they are simply doing their job: racing. Their safety must never be put at risk. While we respect the right to peaceful protest, actions that endanger athletes cannot be accepted. Rider safety must remain the highest priority. The CPA stands firmly with the riders: they just want to race in safe conditions.”
Pro-Palestinian campaigners say their actions are directed at Israel-Premier Tech’s presence in the race, arguing that the team is being used to promote Israel’s international image in the midst of the ongoing “genocide” and “man-made famine” in Gaza, as described by several international bodies and human rights organisations.
Riders formerly associated with the team have also distanced themselves from it. Last month, former Danish pro cyclist Jakob Fuglsang said it was “definitely nicer to ride without an Israel logo,” while Alessandro De Marchi said that he was “happy and relieved” not to represent the squad any more, urging the cycling world “to show awareness of what’s going on in Gaza.”
Ahead of this year’s Vuelta, Derek Gee terminated his contract with IPT, saying “certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable.”
As we reported earlier today, roadside support for Palestine has been highly visible throughout the Basque Country, where Palestinian flags are often seen on balconies and public buildings.
During stage 10, the peloton passed graffiti reading “Netanyahu Assassin,” while chants of “Palestina” and placards saying “Stop Genocide” accompanied a sea of Palestinian flags hoisted by fans on the roadside.
The Basque Country has for decades shown solidarity with Palestine, with locals drawing parallels between their own repression in Francoist Spain and the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. Guernica, on today’s stage route, is home to one of the strongest pro-Palestine movements in the region, its destruction during the Spanish Civil War a lasting symbol of resistance.
Sylvan Adams, meanwhile, has long described the team as “ambassadors” for Israel and a means of promoting a “more realistic vision” of modern Israel. In January, he was criticised after remarks in which he said the Israel Defence Force “needs to finish the job” in Gaza.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez, the first senior European leader to accuse Israel of genocide, reinforced that view in an interview with the Guardian published today, calling the assault on Gaza “one of the darkest episodes of international relations in the 21st century.”
He warned that Europe’s “double standards” in its responses to Ukraine and Gaza risked undermining its global credibility. “The world is looking at the EU and also at western society and asking: ‘Why are you doing double standards when it comes to Ukraine and when it comes to Gaza?’” Sánchez said.
He added that Spain had been pushing for the EU to suspend its strategic partnership with Israel.
With stage 11 only just underway, today’s protest in the neutral zone is unlikely to be the last. Local activists had already predicted multiple demonstrations, with one Reddit user from Bilbao writing: “We will see the biggest pro-Palestine protests and they will affect the race at multiple points. I don’t think there exists a singular town that has as strong a pro-Palestine movement as Gernika. Honestly, I think we will see protests affect the race like we’ve never seen.”
14 thoughts on “Vuelta peloton stopped by another protest, as numerous riders reportedly call for Israel-Premier Tech to pull out of race due to “increased security risk””
More fatigue
More fatigue
To have a professional
To have a professional cycling team flying the flag for a country that’s effectively ethically cleansing/ a country that is was gifted is an utter disgrace 🤷
Exactly, the the deeds of
Exactly, the the deeds of Israel and the unbridled support of the IPT owner for ethnic cleansing that outs the riders at risk. Pull out IPT. Derek Gee salút
I did notice more Palestinian
I did notice more Palestinian flags in tonights highlights, towards the end towards the end Basque independence was mentioned as being connected. The Basques (and Catalans) were heavily punished for supporting the losing side against the fascists. Odd that Franco lasted so long after the defeat of other European fascist states. My knowledge of Portuguese fascist dictatorship is lacking.
Just the thin end of the
Just the thin end of the wedge. It looks like the terrorist supporters are holding the pelaton hostage, which about sums it up. Maybe if they went to Gaza and asked Hamas to release the hostages, they could end the war.
This is the wedge. The owner
This is the wedge. The owner of IPT has called for IDF to finish the job in Gaza. Not the return of the hostages. He is a cheerleader for genocide.
I would find some protest
I would find some protest against the Hamas-dodah-manufacturer cycling team to be acceptable. But violence against these cyclists would also be unacceptable.
Thanks for creating a
Thanks for creating a hypothetical team to make your point.
We all know that IPT exists to cover the murder of children through bombs, bullets and starvation – its not hypothetical. I cannot cheer on IPT riders like all others.
Gbjbanjs wrote:
Not doing a very good job with it then, is it, considering the whole world is talking about those issues? There is enough horror in the genocide in Gaza without talking absolute balls in claiming that a team set up to promote Israel’s worldwide image “exists” to cover up said genocide. Apart from anything else the team has existed in various forms since 2014, did those cunning Israelis set it up knowing that they were going to launch a genocide a decade later? There’s an arguable case that IPT should be removed from the pro peloton, and an unarguable case that Israel is committing genocide, but your hysterical nonsense in this comment and many others doesn’t advance either case in any way.
That is exactly why he set up
That is exactly why he set up the team, to white wash Israel image. Do your research.
Gbjbanjs wrote:
Do your research please before making a fool of yourself. Sylvan Adams is a cycling enthusiast who has won world-class races at senior level, he established the Israeli Cycling Academy in 2014 with the aim of encouraging the careers of young Israeli cyclists (including Arabs, with an Arab Muslim on the team roster and youth cycling outreach teams in Arab villages) before taking over Katusha-Alpecin. His views on the Gaza conflict are repellent but to claim that he set up the team “to cover up the murder of children” is hysterical nonsense and simply betrays your ignorance.
You can’t go to Gaza.
You can’t go to Gaza. Journalists have tried, aid workers have tried, the UN has tried, activists have tried. It’s been under Israeli blockade for over 20 years and is currently being demolished and the people are being starved to death. People are trying to go to Gaza and people are trying to negotiate an end to the genocide – but Israel is committed to destroying all life in Gaza. Go and read what Israeli ministers have beeen saying, they have been declaring their intention to commit genocide for two years now.
Beachboy wrote:
Hamas offered to release all hostages back in October…. 2023. Hamas have agreed to peace deal after peace deal. Israel rejects them again and again. The one ceasefire that was agreed was broken….. by Israel.
The Qatari negotiators even took one of “Netanyahu” Mileikowsky’s proposals, renamed it and presented it _unchanged_ to Hamas. Hamas agreed to it. When the Qataris went back to Israel with the news, Israel rejected it. “Netanyahu” Mileikowsky rejected HIS OWN plan!
Here’s the truth Mileokowsky and his messianic government do NOT WANT the hostages. They want to destroy Gaza and take it. They’ve talked about it since _long before_ 2023! Now they’re doing it.
The givt of Israel has
The givt of Israel has created this stigma against anything attached to them .Tge ream boss called on the IDF to ” finish the job ” .On that quote al9be tge team should be out of everything .R7ders are leaving and putting out bullshit statements on why .We all know why and ill bet tgere are ndas to keep them quiet