Vuelta a España stage 16 shortened due to more pro-Palestine protests on race route

Stage 16 of the Vuelta a España was shortened after pro-Palestine protests on the route caused a change of finish.

Speaking on race radio on Tuesday afternoon, while the race was just 16km from the finish in Mos. Castro de Herville, a race organiser said "we have a big protest at 3 kilometres before the line. We will decide the stage winner and take times at 8 km before the line".

Photos on Getty Images showed the road blocked by a large group, with Palestine flags, as Spain's Guardia Civil forces moved in.

It is the second stage of this Vuelta which has been shortened due to protests, with stage 11 in Bilbao being forced to end 3km before the finish, with no winner awarded. On Tuesday, Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) won at the moved finish.

Activists have been loudly calling for Israel-Premier Tech to leave the race. The team has no official links to the Israeli government, but billionaire owner Sylvan Adams is a staunch supporter of the country’s actions in Gaza.

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was the first senior European leader to accuse Israel of genocide over its actions in Gaza. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's invasion of Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks, in which more than 1,200 people died.

In a statement released by Israel-Premier Tech last week, the team said they are "committed to racing on" at the Vuelta, despite growing pressure. The race resumed on Tuesday in Galicia, north eastern Spain, after the rest day.

On Saturday, it was announced that the team will race the remaining eight stages of the Vuelta a España without the word 'Israel' on their jerseys. The squad made the decision due to "safety concerns", though the official team name will not be changed.

According to L'Équipe, the organisers of the Vuelta have sought out 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.

"People do it for a reason," race leader Jonas Vingegaard said of the protests to Danish broadcaster TV2 last week. "It's horrible what's happening currently and I think those protesting do so here because they need a forum to be heard.

"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."