The last step definitively arrested because of the Propalestinian demonstrations, no stage winner in Madrid

Due to a very large number of demonstrators in the Spanish capital, where the arrival of the last stage was to be held on Sunday, the organization definitively neutralized the race 58 kilometers from the goal.

The Vuelta will have a winner of the general classification, Jonas Vingegaard, but there will be none for the last route. The 21st stage, disputed between Alalpardo and Madrid, was definitively neutralized about fifty kilometers from the finish, Sunday, September 14, due to the massive presence of Propalestinian demonstrators in the capital.

While the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had expressed, earlier in the day, his “admiration” For these demonstrations, their too large number, on Sunday, forced the organization of the Tour of Spain to stop the last step 58 kilometers from the goal, at the start of the circuit provided in the capital, to preserve the safety of the runners.

The runners had already had a group on the road earlier, temporarily interrupting the race before it resumed behind the commissioner's car. A few meters further, it was therefore definitively stopped, and the runners were asked to return directly to their hotel by car and not by the buses, placed behind the finish. “It is a shame that such a moment of eternity was stolen from us. I am really disappointed. I was looking forward to celebrating this final victory with my team and the supporters. Everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that influences or put our race in danger”the Jonas Vitygaard region.

“Nowadays, sport is increasingly used as a platform to approach social issues”, chained his manager, Richard Plugge. “We must understand that sport is above all a question of connection. It can create links and promote mutual understanding. But participants must be protected: they cannot become the victims of this social debate. Athletes should be free to wage their fights in the field, in our case, outside. Otherwise, it is the very essence of sport as a unifying force”developed the manager of the Dutch training.

Having since the start by demonstrations, the Tour of Spain had already seen three shortened stages (the 11th, the 16th and the time trial of the 18th stage). Two of the 21 stages will not have a winner, the 11th and therefore the 21st Sunday. The organization confirmed that there would be no protocol podium at the end.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will therefore not be able to celebrate his final victory in front of the crowd, acquired the day before thanks to his third stage victory. The Danish won his third big round after his two successes on the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023. Joao Almeida (UAE-Team Emirates XRG) finished second (at 1'16) and Tom Pidcock (Q 36.5) third (3'11). The first Frenchman, Rudy Molard, finished 23rd while his team, the Groupama-FDJ, won the only tricolor victory of this edition by David Gaudu.

Another Danish, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), won the point classification, Jay vine the mountain ranking and the American Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Prime Tech) The best young classification finishing 5th. The Emirati formation will have hovered over the stages, with seven won, in front of the three of Alpecin-Deceuninck (Jasper Philipsen), Ineos-Grenadiers (Ben Turner, Egan Bernal and Filippo Ganna) and Visma-Lease A Bike (Jonas Vingegaard).