BILBAO: The 11th stage of the Vuelta a España was cut short on Wednesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the finish line in Bilbao.
Organisers announced that times would be taken three kilometres before the finish “due to incidents at the line.” Protesters waving Palestinian flags attempted to push barriers into the road, raising safety concerns for riders.
Basque government security advisor Bingen Zupiria said while solidarity with Gaza was not in question, some protesters’ actions “compromised safety.” Police identified five people and arrested three, while four officers were injured in the clashes.
The Vuelta has faced near-daily protests targeting the Israel–Premier Tech team. On Tuesday, demonstrators tried to run into the road ahead of the peloton, causing Italian rider Simone Petilli to crash. “Please, we are just cyclists doing our job. Our safety is no longer guaranteed. We feel in danger,” Petilli wrote on social media.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza—launched after Hamas’s October 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people—has since left at least 63,633 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures, which the UN regards as reliable.
Spain, alongside Ireland and Norway, formally recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024. Spanish Minister for Youth and Childhood Sira Rego, who is of Palestinian descent, said the protests showed “a lesson in humanity.” She wrote on Bluesky: “More than 63,000 people in Palestine no longer feel ‘in danger’ because they have been murdered. Enough is enough.”
Political party Podemos leader Ione Belarra also praised the demonstrations, calling them “unstoppable” and a source of pride.
Despite the disruption, overall leader Jonas Vingegaard retained his red jersey. There was no official stage winner, though Britain’s Tom Pidcock surged on the final climb of Alto de Pike to gain six bonus seconds, with Vingegaard taking four. “I felt like today was my day,” Pidcock said. “But the Vuelta did what it could to keep us safe.”
The Professional Cyclists Association (CPA) renewed its call for stronger rider protection, noting: “Cyclists already face extreme physical demands daily. External threats must not be added to these challenges.”
