«Today is my son's birthday – Vingegaard said after The Vuelta stage in Bilbao was cancelled. He's one year old and I really wanted to raise my hands at the finish line for him. We worked all day for this, and not having a chance to win was quite disappointing. I really had this ambition to win the stage and was in a good position to try. I still managed to cross the new finish line first, 3 kilometers from the real one. It's a shame not to bring home a teddy bear for my son today., but I hope to have two tomorrow."
The meaning of the protest
No winner. The eleventh stage of the Vuelta was stopped 3 kilometers from the finish in BilbaoPidcock's attack on the Pike climb had allowed the Briton to open up a gap, with only Vingegaard in his wake. The others, however, had paid the price, falling 12 seconds behind. Shortly after five in the afternoon, however, The organizers decided to reduce it to avoid the risks associated with the pro-Palestine protests staged at the finish line by a large group of demonstratorsIn the Basque Country, they have anger inside, strong-blooded people. And if in the team time trial in Figueres the protests had led to the slowdown of the Israel Premier Tech, yesterday it was preferred not to take risks (opening image ANP/EPA).
We wrote it after the Giro d'ItaliaCycling is raced on the streets among people and can become the sounding board for events of all kinds, as long as they do not put the riders at risk. We remember when Piaggio workers stopped the Sanremo or when the mayors of the flooded towns of Piedmont slowed down the start of a stage of the Giro from the Sanctuary of Vicoforte. But now there's a war at stakeOver 40 dead. A prime minister who theorizes invasions and carries out massacres without anyone in the world asking him why. What do you expect people to do but protest? And what's the point of a protest if no one notices?
The CPA's position
Unfortunately, there had already been warnings. In the team time trial in Figueres, when Israel-Premier Tech was slowed down and the jury then balanced the gap. And then on Tuesday's stage with arrival at El Ferial Larra Belagua, when The protesters attempted to cross the road as the group passed, causing Petilli to fall., who runs with Intermarché-Wanty. From the start of the Vuelta, as already done at the Tour de FranceSecurity measures have been strengthened around Israel-Premier Tech. Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams is believed to be a close associate of Prime Minister Netanyahu. and a supporter of his policies. For this reason, the team's bus and vehicles travel without the word Israel.
It's okay to protest, however, but don't harm or hit riders. Wednesday afternoon, The CPA released a statement. It expresses "his deep concern and the firm condemnation of the actions that put the Vuelta a España riders in dangerIt is unacceptable that associations, whatever their nature or motivation, allow themselves to compromise the safety and physical integrity of athletes on the road. We also call on Spanish security services to do everything possible to ensure the smooth running of the event and protect the riders. Everyone has the right to protest, but it cannot be at the expense of the athletes who are doing their job.».
Who should decide?
The Bilbao stage would have been perhaps the most spectacular of the Vuelta and it turned out to be a wound. The organization was forced to neutralization of the rankings, at the head of a very busy day to say the leastAfter the day's results, Vuelta director Kiko Garcia explained yesterday's decision and struggled to answer questions about the possibility of the Israeli team withdrawing.
"It's been a difficult day for everyone," he explained, "as you can imagine. We knew there might be protests, but the truth is that the scale of the movement took us by surprise as we first crossed the finish lineWe saw that the situation was tense and that we had to make a decision quickly. We had two options: cancel everything or at least try to put on a show for the great cycling public in the Basque Country. That's what we did. I spoke to the teams a bit, and everyone agreed it was the best decision.
"We knew that if we didn't react, the protests would continue. We have to follow the rules. The participation of Israel-Premier Tech is mandatory, we cannot decide otherwiseIf anything, stopping it is the responsibility of an international body. Our job is to try to protect the riders, the teams, and the race, of course. And that's where we are. We spoke to the team for hours last night, explaining the situation to them, seeing if they felt the pressure rising too. There's not much else I can do."
The UCI's position
Why did the IOC ban Russian clubs and athletes after the invasion of Ukraine, yet say nothing against Israel? A slap in the face, theUCI he published a front statement.
“We strongly condemn these actions. We underline the fundamental importance of the political neutrality of the sports organizations united in the Olympic Movement, as well as the unifying and peace-making role of sport. Major international sporting events embody a spirit of unity and dialogue, transcending differences and divisions. Sport, cycling in particular, aims to unite people and overcome barriers between them. and must under no circumstances be used as a means of punishment. The UCI expresses its full solidarity and support to the teams and their staff, as well as to the riders, who must be able to practice their profession and their passion in optimal conditions of safety and tranquility.
Israel remains
Asking for the spontaneous withdrawal of Israel-Premier Tech would be demand that they be the ones to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for the UCIYesterday evening a statement from the team explains his position and why he will remain in the running.
“Israel-Premier Tech – it reads – is a professional cycling team. As such, the team remains committed to participating in the Vuelta a EspanaAny other course of action sets a dangerous precedent in cycling, not only for Israel-Premier Tech, but for all teams.
“Israel-Premier Tech has repeatedly expressed his respect for everyone's right to protest, as long as such protests remain peaceful and do not compromise the safety of the groupThe Vuelta a España organization and the police are doing everything possible to create a safe environment, and for this, the team is particularly grateful. However, The behavior of the protesters today in Bilbao was not only dangerous, but also counterproductive to their cause.And it deprived the Basque fans, among the best in the world, of the stage finish they deserved.
“We thank the race organizers and the UCI for their continued support and collaboration. As well as the teams and riders who have expressed their support both publicly and privately and, of course, our fans.”
It remains to be seen whether yesterday's results will fuel further protests or whether increased security measures will be enough to secure the Vuelta and its participants. In taking each side's position, We note with sadness that not a single word has been uttered by sport about what is happening in Gaza.We are also sorry that Vingegaard could not give that teddy bear to his son. We are even more sorry that 13 children have been killed since the beginning of the war. In those parts, having or not having a teddy bear is the least of their worries. They die there from gunfire, bombs, or starvation. Saying so and showing empathy might perhaps bring some peace to the situation.
