'Utmost respect for those who are peacefully demonstrating' - Spanish cycling federation urges Vuelta a España protestors to mind rider safety

The Spanish cycling federation, the RFEC, has expressed its “utmost respect” with “those who are peacefully demonstrating” at the current Vuelta a España, and has asked all protestors not to hinder the race.

On two occasions at this year's race, stages have been stopped early – general classification times were taken at 3km to go on stage 11 and 8km to go on stage 16 – due to pro-Palestine protests at the scheduled finish lines. Two riders have also crashed after protestors encroached on the road, while Israel-Premier Tech were stopped by protestors during their team time trial on stage five.

Activists have been calling for the withdrawal of the Israeli team, whose co-owner Sylvan Adams has previously called himself a "self-appointed ambassador-at-large for Israel". The team has no official links to the Israeli government.

Following Tuesday’s stage 16, cut short and won by Egan Bernal, the RFEC (Real Federación Española Ciclismo) released a statement, urging protestors to take the “utmost care” towards the riders.

“The RFEC, firmly aligned with the values of sport, such as the pursuit of human excellence, respect for opponents and friendship between people, condemns, categorically and without any doubt, terrorism and genocide in Gaza,” the statement read.

“In this regard, it wishes to express its utmost respect for those who are peacefully demonstrating, but also and especially its concern about the extreme risk involved in invading the route of each stage, given that the cyclists and vehicles in the race travel at high speed and are exposed to serious crashes and injuries, as has already happened.

“For all these reasons, it asks all those who demonstrate along the route of the race to do so peacefully, without hindering the progress of the competition and with the utmost care for the riders, respecting the exercise of their profession, given that neither the cyclists nor cycling are responsible for the events being protested.”

Despite the continued protests, the director of the Vuelta, Javier Guillén, has insisted the race will continue to its finish Madrid with “no Plan B”.

“The main message I want to share with you today is that we are going to continue with La Vuelta,” Guillén told reporters after Tuesday’s curtailed stage in Galicia. "Of course, it's terrible what is happening, and what we all want is peace. But everybody has their own space, and we want to protect ours, which is the Vuelta.”

On Israel-Premier Tech’s presence at the race, Guillén said: “The participation of these teams is not prohibited because no international federation has done so, none. And there hasn't been any international body that has imposed sanctions requiring us, the world of sport, to act accordingly.”

"From now on, what we want is for the race to continue because all the teams participating in La Vuelta have legitimacy."

Protests are expected to intensify at the race as it moves towards its finale in Madrid this Sunday. According to L'Équipe, the Vuelta organisers have sought extra security measures for stage 18’s time trial on Thursday, where 300 officers, in uniform and plain clothes, and 150 security guards will be deployed in Valladolid.

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was the first senior European leader to accuse Israel of genocide over its actions in Gaza. More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's invasion of Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks, in which more than 1,200 people died.