Vuelta boss condemns 'unacceptable' protests that derailed race finale

MADRID : The head of Spain's premier cycling race delivered a stern rebuke on Monday to protesters who forced the abandonment of the Vuelta a Espana's final stage, calling the chaotic scenes "absolutely unacceptable."

Javier Guillen, the race's general manager, faced reporters a day after pro-Palestinian demonstrations targeting the Israel-Premier Tech team brought Sunday's finale to a grinding halt just three kilometres from the finish line in Madrid.

Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard was declared the winner after the stage was abandoned but Guillen was disappointed.

"I want to express my regret, but especially condemn what happened in the last stage of the Vuelta a Espana," Guillen said at his press conference in the Spanish capital.

"The images speak for themselves. I believe that everything that happened is absolutely unacceptable."

The protests, which the demonstrators said was sparked by Israel's actions in Gaza, saw them chanting "they will not pass" as they overturned metal barriers and occupied the race route.

Two people were arrested and 22 police officers injured, according to the Spanish government.

Guillen insisted race organisers had tried to accommodate peaceful demonstrations throughout the three-week tour, but the safety of the cyclists ultimately forced their hand.

"What happened was that, about three kilometres from the finish line, there was another invasion of the road in which riders fell to the ground," he explained.

"We were now talking about not only the impossibility of completing the stage normally, but also the fact that the safety of the cyclists was clearly in danger."

VUELTA GUIDED BY UCI REGULATIONS

The race director repeatedly deflected questions about whether the Israel-Premier Tech team, which is