Cancellation of Vuelta stage due to embarrassment
The Spain Tour of cycling professionals has been marred by protests and disruptions, most recently on the eleventh and twelfth stages. Despite the challenges, overall leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) has managed to extend his lead in the battle for the red jersey.
The eleventh stage, scheduled from Bilbao to Laredo, ended prematurely due to blocked roads and the presence of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The demonstrators waved large flags and pushed onto the course, causing chaos and leading to the safety of the riders being deemed at risk. As a result, time gaps were taken three kilometers before the finish, and no official stage winner was declared.
Organizers secured the finish area with a large presence of security forces and closed the road to spectators. The following day, during the neutral phase before the twelfth stage, police had to remove demonstrators from the road once again. On one of the climbs during the twelfth stage, activists stepped onto the road with a large banner.
Protests are expected to continue on the upcoming mountain stages in the Basque Country. Team Israel-Premier Tech, a frequent target of these protests, was at the center of the disruptions during the eleventh stage.
Despite the premature end of the eleventh stage, which coincided with his son's birthday, Danish overall leader Jonas Vingegaard expressed disappointment but remained focused. He has managed to extend his lead in the battle for the red jersey in previous stages, and his determination remains unwavering.
The twelfth stage, a 144.9-kilometer long ride from Laredo to Los Corrales de Buelna, did not see any major attacks from the favorites. However, the category 1 climb around 20 kilometers from the finish will pose a significant challenge to the riders.
The summit finish on the legendary Angliru on the following day (Friday) is expected to be exciting. With Vingegaard maintaining his lead and the race heating up, the Spain Tour is shaping up to be a thrilling spectacle.
Meanwhile, Jasper Philipsen managed to secure a win in the nineteenth stage of the 2025 Vuelta a España in a sprint before the race was prematurely stopped. The stage had seven categorised climbs of the 2nd and 3rd category.
As the Spain Tour continues, the focus remains on the safety of the riders and the integrity of the race. Despite the disruptions, the competitive spirit of the cyclists remains undeterred, promising an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
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