MADRID (AP) — Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the final stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race on Sunday.
There were clashes between police and protesters near the route finale in Madrid. Some protesters carrying anti-Israel banners partly blocked the road and forced riders to stop.
Riders got off their bikes but race officials have not yet officially called an end to the stage and overall race. There were about 50 kilometers (31 miles) left on the final stage which appears unlikely to resume.
Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike was set to win the race after extending his lead over João Almeida on Saturday. The Dane has a lead of 1 minute, 16 seconds over Almeida ahead of the mostly ceremonial ride into Madrid.
The protesters threw barriers onto the road on a finishing circuit in the Spanish capital. Riders had been expected to do nine laps on the circuit.
Several hundred protesters stayed on the road where the race was supposed to pass by. Anti-Israel banners were also hung from nearby buildings.
The protesters were near the awards podium but it also wasn’t immediately clear if the presentations would take place.
The race had resumed briefly Sunday after riders were originally told by race organizers to stop because of the protests, but they eventually had to stop again as authorities and organizers discussed the situation.
Protesters carrying Palestine flags jeered when the teams’ support cars passed by them along the route.
More than 1,500 police officers had been deployed ahead of the last stage of the three-week long cycling race.
There had been no major incidents as the riders set off on the 103.6-kilometer (64.3-mile) final stage starting in nearby Alalpardo.
Diplomatic battleground
The Grand Tour event turned into a and was largely disrupted by protesters against the presence of Israeli-owned team Premier Tech, which earlier in the race from its uniforms.
Seven of the last 11 days of racing were either , with more than 20 people detained by police. During one stage, a protester carrying a Palestine flag tried to run on to the road ahead of riders, causing two of them to crash. They continued but one of them had to eventually pull out of the race.
The route of the final stage was cut short by 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) over traffic concerns.
Previous stages were altered because of safety concerns over the protests.
Authorities said the heavy police presence would be deployed for the finale in Madrid to add to the 130 officers already traveling with the race. Military-type trucks, officers in riot gear and horse-riding police were seen near the route in Madrid.
Some 6,000 protesters were expected in the Spanish capital on Sunday, along with about 50,000 fans.
It would be Vingegaard’s third Grand Tour title, adding to his pair of Tour de France titles won in 2022 and 2023.
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