"At no time have we feared for our safety" - Mikel Landa is not concerned by the growing number of protests
Cycling
The seventh stage of the Vuelta a España 2025 could be disputed this Wednesday without altercations. Pro-Palestinian protests have been the main protagonists of the edition. It was feared that the finish in El Morredero could not take place (this time because of strong wind), but ultimately there was no problem. What did worry was the decision of the cyclists to abandon if they saw their integrity endangered. For Mikel Landa, there is nothing to fear.
"In general we do not fear for our safety, we know there are protests, but there are police and we are calm. At no time have we feared for our safety," Landa began by saying about the protests against Israel and the team they represent in La Vuelta.
Following his second place in the shortened stage 16, Landa was again under the radar on El Morredero as he crossed the line in a 57th place.
Mikel Landa lost a sprint to Egan Bernal in shortened stage 16
Marc Soler
The news of mass abandons in case of recurring problems with route security came out of blue for Marc Soler. The Spaniard has been in the center of action along with his whole team the past few weeks and even won the stage 14 after a strong solo ride.
"This is the first I have heard of it. As far as I know, we have not met. We talked among ourselves about the security issue, that there were some dangerous cases. But we said that we had to try to make our work as safe as possible. We want to get to Madrid safely. That there is no mishap on the road," began Marc Soler after El Morredero finish.
According to the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider, the Vuelta a Espana organization contacted them to assure them that everything possible is being done and will be done to finish the race in Madrid, on stage 21.
Marc Soler is doing a strong Vuelta
"They have told us they will try to do everything possible and we will try to finish. It's a situation that is not easy at all. We ask for respect so that there are no crashes as there have already been and it's dangerous. But that's all," added Marc Soler, referring to the setback that left Movistar Team's Javier Romo out of La Vuelta.
"What we are asking is that they guarantee the safety of the riders so that we can do our job. That's what the UCI and La Vuelta have to do," concluded the Catalan UAE rider.
Abel Balderstone
The 25-year-old who had become a Spanish time trial champion in the 2025 uphill edition in Sierra Nevada is among the pleasant surprises of this Vuelta. Currently 13th overall, just ahead of teammate Jaume Guardeno, Abel Balderstone seems to be well on the way to secure his career's best GC result at a race as big as Vuelta.
Abel Balderstone is best-placed Spanish rider in the Vuelta GC after stage 17
"Yes, in the last few days we were a little afraid that something serious might happen. But today we are happy that nothing like that happened. The Vuelta a Espana wants to continue to Madrid, so we will continue. For us, as a guest team, it's a dream to be able to finish. It could cause doubts in the peloton, I don't know, but for the moment we're going on," he said.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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