Spain's Minister of Sport and Education has become the country's latest politician to comment on the ongoing tension surrounding the Vuelta a España, calling for Israel-Premier Tech to leave the race, but insisting that the Vuelta should continue.
Speaking on Cadena Ser's El Larguero sports program, Pilar Alegría discussed the pro-Palestinian protests about the presence of Israel-Premier Tech, pointing out that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country's teams have been banned from multiple sports. This includes cycling, although Russians are allowed to continue racing as individuals, under a neutral flag.
"The question is, should this occur with Israel? My answer is clear. Yes, it should." Alegría told El Larguero, adding that she believed other sports, like football, also could follow suit.
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"This isn't going to end with the Vuelta, soon the [football] Europa League is about to begin, where the Russians aren't participating and [Israeli team] Maccabi will be. I'd support the same decision being taken as with Russia."
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. As of early September, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 64,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, with much of Gaza being destroyed.
Alegría is the second top Spanish government minister to support Israel-Premier Tech's expulsion from the race after Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told RNE that he would be in favour, before noting that it's a decision that can only be made by the sport's governing body – the UCI.
"You know that this is not a decision made by the Spanish Government; it is made by the Union Cycliste Internationale," Albares said last Thursday, "Therefore, the Spanish Government had no say in the participation."
Alegría denied there had been any pressure on the government's part to expel the team, but agreed with Albares about the UCI. She also said that she had been in contact with race director Javier Guillén to discuss the ongoing situation, where a third stage, Thursday's time trial in Valladolid, has been reduced to 12.7 kilometres, less than half its original distance, in order to maximise security.
"He wants to avoid any harm coming to any athlete – we have to maintain levels of security and balance that with citizens' rights [to protest]."
Her remarks contrasted strongly with those of the co-spokesperson for Spain's hard-left Podemos party, Pablo Fernández, who made a call for "an active boycott and civil disobedience" to stop stage 17.
"They have to block the roads," Fernández told Spanish media, "they have to stop the race from finishing in the streets of this city."
Alegría said she did not share those calls, saying she hoped the race would be finished on Sunday in Madrid.
Apart from cutting down on the length of the time trial, the city of Valladolid has boosted the number of police to 450 for the 12.7-kilometre test. As of Thursday lunchtime, there were no reported incidents, apart from some unconfirmed claims that protesters were being stopped from approaching the finish area if they were carrying Palestinian flags.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, an extra 1,500 police have been drafted in for the final two stages, one of which takes place in the mountains west of the capital, before the final day's racing through the centre of the city.
The organiser has repeatedly denied reports in one newspaper that were subsequently removed that the final stage will be cancelled, with race director Javier Guillén telling reporters after stage 16 that "there is no Plan B."
