Jonas Vingegaard reacts to another Vuelta neutralization: "It's a shame this is happening again"

The Vuelta a Espana continues to be hampered by protests against Israel - Premier Tech everyday, which affect the entire peloton. The GC race was neutralized and finished prematurely in the race's arrival to Galicia, and Jonas Vingegaard was disappointed with what happened on the road to Castro de Herville.

"It's a shame this is happening again. Everyone has the right to protest, but it's a shame it has to happen here and this way and that we can't finish the race," the Dane said in a post-race interview. "That shouldn't happen. The team worked well today, and I would have liked to honor their work in the finale. It's a shame the Spanish cycling fans didn't see a thrilling finale."

For the second time in the space of a week, race organizers were forced to neutralize the finale. This time around it wasn't a flat city finish, but instead a large group of protestors that blocked the road of the final climb. There was no chance of maintaining the race safely and protecting the riders in such environment, and the race abruptly announced the end of the stage with 8 kilometers to go, on the base of the final climb.

Hence there were GC difference only to the riders that were dropped on the penultimate climb of the day at the pace of Bahrain - Victorious such as Felix Gall and William Junior Lecerf, but the contenders for the final victory and main podium faces have arrived altogether in the small road that acted as a makeshift finish line.

The boss of Team Visma | Lease a Bike was also not content, even if the situation could've in a way benefited the team, who saw no attack from UAE Team Emirates - XRG or João Almeida due to the neutralization.

"It's truly unfortunate that this decision had to be made again to guarantee the safety of the riders. As long as the race organizers and the UCI allow the Vuelta to go ahead, I assume they can also ensure it happens safely," he said. However he is well aware that without action and with the team remaining in the race, nothing is likely to change.

"But this is already the second time they've had to reconsider this during the race, and that affects the outcome. I want to appeal to the public once again not to interfere with our riders and the race. At the same time, I urge the organizers to do everything they can to safeguard the event, so that we can all enjoy a thrilling battle in the final week of the Vuelta," he concluded.