Israel - Premier Tech rider claims Vuelta organisers "deserve a yellow card" following protests

Tom Van Asbroeck, who rides for Israel – Premier Tech but is not racing at the Vuelta a España, has spoken out about the pro-Palestinian protests that have disrupted the race. In comments to WielerFlits, the 35-year-old offered his perspective on the demonstrations, the reaction towards his teammates, and issued a damning verdict of the race organisation led by Javier Guillén.

Addressing the protests, Van Asbroeck acknowledged that riders respond to them in different ways. “Some cyclists are more sensitive to the protests than others, who relativize it more, but I understand the concern. I can understand the protests very well when you see what is happening in Gaza. I respect freedom of speech and demonstrations, but let them be done peacefully.”

While recognizing the right to protest, he drew a line at the nature of the actions seen at the Vuelta. “In the Vuelta you see aggression and intimidation towards our team, which is not consistent with the pursuit of peace. Disrupting public order seems to be the main objective. There is clearly a misconception about our team, which is privately sponsored and not by the State of Israel. The rioters in the Vuelta are not cycling lovers. I am a rider who is paid to compete and I have nothing to do with the fighting in Gaza.”

The protests have targeted Israel – Premier Tech repeatedly during the race, and Van Asbroeck rejected suggestions that the team itself bore any political responsibility. He stressed that the riders are professionals, paid to race, and unrelated to government policies.

What angered him most, however, was the idea floated by the organizers that the safest course of action could be for his team to withdraw from the event. “Boycotting the riders is hypocritical. The organizer of the Vuelta deserves a yellow card for insinuating that our team should leave the competition. That would be the last straw. What about UAE or Bahrain, where human rights are a sticking point? Let the riders simply compete.”