"I was a bit scared" - More Vuelta riders come out with their experiences with anti-Israel protests at La Vuelta
Cycling
The 2025 Vuelta a Espana is one that will stay in the history books for a long time, having had three stages directly neutralized or disrupted due to protests against the presence of Israel - Premier Tech in the race. However these affected most riders in the peloton and two big figures in the peloton have come out to share their experiences that happened throughout the three weeks.
Dylan van Baarle, in words on the In Koers podcast, has explained the outcome of the final day in which the protestors invaded the roads of Madrid and in an uncontrollable way have neutralized and cancelled the final stage and podium celebrations in the Spanish capital - something that has earned both protestors and race organizers immense criticism from fans and cyclists alike.
"I couldn't even imagine finishing in Madrid. We were stopped at the palace and stood there with a lot of Guardia Civil men," the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider explained. "Suddenly, all hell broke loose at the entrance. There were people all over the sides of the cars. It was like being in GTA. A very strange situation."
The riders got back to the team cars and it became very obvious very quickly that no-one was going to be able to enjoy their arrival into Madrid after 21 days of racing. "We then sat in the car watching and could see what was happening. Those guys were throwing barriers; it was going full throttle. I thought: get out of here."
"Although I also heard rumors that the finish would be just outside Madrid, because we'd already gone off the route on the way, as I saw on my Garmin. It was just a shame."
The situation in Madrid reached heights never previously seen in pro cycling. @Sirotti
Fear in the riders
Besides the neutralized stages, there were several incidents throughout the race where riders crashed due to wreckless movement from protestors. Simone Pettili and Javier Romo being two examples, with the Movistar leader forced to abandon due to his injuries. Wout Poels of Astana had been on the hunt for stage wins and details his own experience.
"I had one between my wheels. The peloton had already passed through and I was coming, and those people were half-jumping onto the road. I hit one, but I wasn't going to stop. I thought: I'm out of here. They didn't look very friendly, and I was a bit scared," the Dutch veteran admits.
He adds the obvious details which is that he neither supports Israel's actions in Palestine and that he is also completely unrelated to Israel - Premier Tech, who were the target of the protests on paper. "As if I was causing all that trouble there, while I think we're actually on the same wavelength. Some riders were really grabbed there (Victor Guernalec being the obvious example, on stage 21, ed.)".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment