“Maybe they're not as radical as I am” – Pello Bilbao slams UCI and Vuelta a Espana organisers

The 2025 Vuelta a España closed under controversy and unrest, with stage 21 in Madrid cancelled amid protests that overshadowed the sport. Riders and fans alike were left frustrated as the season’s final Grand Tour ended without the traditional sprint in the Spanish capital. Among those speaking out most forcefully in the aftermath was Pello Bilbao, who did not compete this year but has voiced strong views on what unfolded.

Bilbao told Sport, "I'm surprised you're only asking me about this now. I don't know what we're waiting for, because what's happening in Gaza is genocide. If the authorities had made a decision before the Vuelta, the protests could have been prevented." He argued that the storm surrounding the race could have been anticipated and mitigated, but instead was left to boil over in front of the cameras on cycling’s world stage.

The Basque rider acknowledged the personal difficulty of singling out Israel-Premier Tech, a team with whom he still has close ties. "It's difficult for me to say I want Israel-Premier Tech out of the peloton, because I have former teammates and acquaintances in that team, with whom I get along well.

“It's a complicated situation, and they're suffering from it too. But I don't understand the UCI's hypocrisy, because they made a different decision with the Russian Gazprom." His words reflect a tension many in the peloton feel but few have expressed so bluntly: the contradiction between cycling’s governing body’s treatment of Russia in 2022 and Israel in 2025.

Bilbao went further, pointing directly at the institutions that allowed the situation to reach crisis point. "The UCI and the Spanish government should have foreseen this, otherwise nothing that happened in the Vuelta would have happened," he said firmly. "Do other riders think the same way? Maybe they're not as radical as I am, but I'd say the majority of the peloton feels the same way. But no one is as outspoken as I am, because it's easy to keep quiet."

For race director Javier Guillén, the abandoned final stage marked the lowest moment of his career at the helm of the Vuelta. “This has been the hardest Vuelta,” Guillén said in a packed post-Grand Tour press conference. “I regret and condemn what happened on the final stage. The images speak for themselves. What took place was unacceptable, especially on the circuit. Nothing good can be drawn from it – and it cannot be repeated.”

Guillén defended the race’s decision-making process, pointing to the role of cycling’s governing body. “We discussed the situation with the UCI to analyse events,” he explained. “They were asked to take a position and issued a statement confirming that Israel could continue in the race. We followed their criteria, in line with the regulations. No federation has vetoed Israel. From an international perspective, no institution has banned Israeli athletes. We remained neutral – we said there was a problem, and left it to the UCI to decide. They said Israel could race, and the team did. The team itself also chose to continue.”

In Spain, the Council of Sport (CSD) went further, issuing an uncompromising response that openly challenged the presence of Israel-Premier Tech. "Sport cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the world," it declared, while also praising the demonstrators. "Using sport to whitewash a genocide like the one in Gaza is a political position that contradicts the Olympic Charter and the fundamental values of sport." The CSD pointed directly at international double standards. "It is surprising that nowhere is there any call for the Netanyahu government to stop the massacre and barbarity against the Palestinian people. This reality should compel them to respond with the same force as they did in 2022 regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine."