'No Plan B' for Vuelta despite more protests

Egan Bernal won the Tour de France in 2019 and the Giro d'Italia two years later

Vuelta a Espana organisers reiterated their determination to finish the race in Madrid on Sunday as planned despite pro-Palestinian protests disrupting stage 16 on Tuesday.

The latest stage of the Grand Tour, won by Colombia's Egan Bernal, was shortened by 8km because of protests aimed at the Israel-Premier Tech team.

Several stages of this year's race, including stage 11 which was shortened without a winner last week, have suffered disruptions, which race director Javier Guillen called "illegal".

"We are going to continue with La Vuelta, and tomorrow we will start the next stage," said Guillen, after the curtailed stage that had been scheduled to run for 168km from Poio to Castro de Herville.

Organisers decided the winner and took stage times early after "a big protest at 3km before the finish line".

"You cannot cut stages short, you cannot block the cyclists' path," Guillen said.

"It's illegal because it's defined as such both in the penal code and in the sports law. We are a sport and sport is meant to unite. Anything that doesn't serve that purpose isn't linked to sport.

"We want to defend our sport, we want to defend our race, and that's why we want to keep working."

Asked whether there was a standby plan in place for Sunday's final stage, Guillen said: "No Plan B for reaching Madrid, no replacing the Madrid stage, absolutely not."

The 2025 race is scheduled to conclude with a 101km flat stage from Alalpardo to Madrid on 14 September.

'Participation of Israel-Premier Tech not prohibited'

Stage 16 was shortened after a 'big protest' before the finish line

On Sunday, a protestor caused a minor crash that involved Spain's Javier Romo, who abandoned the race on Tuesday saying he was "not feeling very well, mentally or physically".

The 26-year-old Movistar rider had suffered "only bruises" during the fall and was able to complete the race on Sunday but quit with 80km to go on stage 16.

The team time trial in stage five was also disrupted when the Israel-Premier Tech team, owned by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, were stopped on the road by a group of protesters holding Palestinian flags.

There have been calls from some quarters to suspend Israel-Premier Tech from the race, but Guillen said it is not for Vuelta organisers to take that decision.

"Yesterday, there was a match between Italy and Israel," the race director said, referring to Monday's Fifa World Cup qualifier between the sides.

"A football match was played, and a European Cup in which Israel participated has taken place.

"The participation of these teams is not prohibited because no international federation has done so, none. And there hasn't been any international body that has imposed sanctions requiring us, the world of sport, to act accordingly.

"From now on, what we want is for the race to continue because all the teams participating in La Vuelta have legitimacy."

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

Bernal, riding for Ineos Grenadiers, secured the victory on stage 16 in three hours, 35 minutes and 10 seconds, finishing ahead of Spanish rider Mikel Landa.

France's Brieuc Rolland took third place, while British rider Finlay Pickering, 22, finished eighth.

Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard remains top of the general classification with Joao Almeida 48 seconds behind, while Great Britain's Tom Pidcock sits third.

Friday will feature another medium mountain stage stretching 143km from O Barco de Valdeorras to Ponferrada.

Vuelta a Espana stage 16 result

1. Egan Bernal (Col/Ineos Grenadiers) 3hrs 35mins 10secs

2. Mikel Landa (Spa/Soudal Quick-Step) same time

3. Brieuc Rolland (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +7secs

4. Nico Denz (Ger/Red Bull - Bora-hansgrohe) +1min 2secs

5. Clement Braz Afonso (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) same time

6. Bob Jungels (Lux/Ineos Grenadiers) +1min 10secs

7. Kevin Vermaerke (USA/Picnic-PostNL) +1min 12secs

8. Finlay Pickering (GB/Bahrain Victorious) same time

9. Sean Quinn (USA/EF Education–EasyPost) +2mins 48secs

10. Rudy Molard (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) same time

General classification after stage 16

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) 61hrs 16mins 35secs

2. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +48secs

3. Tom Pidcock (GB/Q36.5 Pro Cycling) +2mins 38secs

4. Jai Hindley (Aus/Red Bull - Bora-hansgrohe) +3mins 10 secs

5. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita/Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) +4mins 21secs

6. Felix Gall (Aut/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +4mins 24secs

7. Matthew Riccitello (USA/Israel-Premier Tech) +4mins 53secs

8. Sepp Kuss (USA/Visma-Lease a Bike) +5mins 46secs

9. Torstein Traeen (Nor/Bahrain Victorious) +6mins 33secs

10. Junior Lecerf (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) +8mins 4secs