Pello Bilbao has accused the UCI of hypocrisy, reaffirming his strong personal stance against Israel's invasion of Gaza in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks.
The veteran Bahrain Victorious rider has a 'Stop Genocide on Gaza' post pinned to his Instagram account and admits he is 'quite radical' on the issue, but believes many others think the same in the professional peloton.
"I don't know what we're waiting for to get a clear name for it. What's happening in Gaza is genocide, and I've considered it that way for a long time," Bilbao told Spanish newspaper El Periódico during an interview.
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"Now, fortunately, people are becoming convinced of it. The Spanish government was one of the first to take the step and report it to the European Union. It seems that some effective measures are now beginning to be taken."
In October 2023, a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparked Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza. So far, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 64,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, with much of Gaza being destroyed.
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for Israel to be banned from competing in international sports, like Russia was after its invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Bilbao agrees with Sánchez's position and questions the UCI's hypocrisy, while sharing his feelings for the riders and staff at the Israel-Premier Tech team.
"It's not easy for me to give my opinion on this issue and say I want Israel Premier Tech out of the peloton when I have former teammates and acquaintances there with whom I get along well and know who work hard for the team," Bilbao explained.
"It's a very complicated situation, and they're also suffering. But, at the same time, I don't understand the UCI's hypocrisy when they made a different decision with the Russian Gazprom. I don't understand the difference. Why some and not others? I don't know if they think the problem will be solved if Israel and Sylvan Adams leave the team and Premier Tech remains as the Canadian squad. Maybe it's a compromise. But I repeat: I don't understand the UCI's hypocrisy."
Bilbao rode the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Montréal at the weekend and rode this year's Vuelta a España. He is supportive of the Pro-Palestinian protests that blocked the race on several occasions, and meant that stage 21 failed to finish in central Madrid.
"We need to make a noise and thank the people who take to the streets or embark on flotillas and risk their lives to deliver food and break the blockade of Palestine. Let's hope this opens the eyes of the general population," Bilbao said.
"If a decision had been made before starting the Vuelta, the protests could have been avoided. But those who had the power to do it should have done it.
"I understand that Unipublic, as an organiser, is not the entity that should do it. It could have been decided by the race judges, the UCI, or the Government."
Riders at the Vuelta voted to neutralise the racing if the protests stopped the racing and put the riders at risk.
Michal Kwiatkowski was one of only a few riders to speak out, warning that "from now on, it’s clear for everyone that a cycling race can be used as an effective stage for protests and next time it will only get worse, because someone allowed it to happen and looked the other way."
Bilbao believes other riders share his opinions but are afraid to speak out.
"Maybe they are not as radical as I am, but in the peloton, there are many comrades who think the same. I would say it's the majority, but no one says it as clearly as I do," he said.
"Everything that's happened at the Vuelta serves to show the weakness of cycling. We race on open roads, and it's impossible to control a race that covers kilometres and kilometres, so it's very easy to boycott it.
"The UCI and the government should have anticipated this, and none of what happened at the Vuelta would have happened. The more time that has passed, the more general awareness there has been that what happened in Gaza is a genocide."
