A number of riders have spoken out following an incident on stage 10 of the Vuelta a España, where pro-Palestine protesters entered the road as the peloton was passing, causing at least one rider to crash and others to have to swerve or slow.
The incident was not shown on the TV broadcast, but a video of what happened circulated on social media on Tuesday evening. In the video, a large group of supporters with flags are seen at the side of the road, and a handful then stepped into the road as the peloton approached.
Police officers attempted to tackle the protesters out of the way, but the riders in the peloton had to take evasive action to avoid them. At least one rider, Intermarché-Wanty's Simone Petilli, crashed because of the incident.
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This is the second incident of pro-Palestinian protesters directly disrupting the Vuelta, after protesters entered the road in front of Israel-Premier Tech during the team time trial. Israel is currently engaged in armed conflict with Palestine, with the United Nations calling for ceasefire amidst growing concerns over famine in Gaza.
Writing on X on Wednesday morning, Petilli pleaded for protests to not endanger the riders.
"I understand that is not a good situation, but yesterday I crashed because of a Protest on the road," he said. "Please, we are just Cyclists and we are doing our Job, but if it will continue like this our safety is not guaranteed anymore, and we feel in danger! We just want to Race! Please."
Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-QuickStep) also weighed in, asking for protests to be carried out in a non-disruptive way.
"We fully acknowledge that everyone has the right to protest. However, we kindly ask that this be done in a safe manner," he said on X. "Our focus here is on our sport, not on politics or any particular position in this matter. I respectfully urge you not to endanger either us or yourselves."
The race has not commented on the incident, and it is not clear whether arrests were made on Tuesday.
The Vuelta, and cycling as a whole during recent months, has been a particular target of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, likely in part due to the participation of ProTeam Israel-Premier Tech. Though not a state-funded team in the way a team like UAE Team Emirates-XRG is, the team is registered in Israel, has strong connections with the nation, and carries its name.
All throughout the race, many Palestinian flags have been visible at the side of the road, showing support for the nation in a peaceful way, but actions have become disruptive on at least two occasions.
Palestinian flags were also present throughout the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, with disruptive protests attempted at both.
At present, no sanctions have been made against Israel in the cycling world, though there is precedent for this, with the UCI banning Russian teams over the war in Ukraine, and Russian riders to this day not allowed to represent their country.
There are concerns that protests will continue on stage 11 as the race visits Bilbao, the biggest city in the Basque Country, where there has traditionally been strong support for Palestine.
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