“People will need to buy a ticket, and be subject to security checks” – Danish legend sees changes coming to cycling after Vuelta protest disruption

Michael Rasmussen has warned that cycling may be heading for fundamental change after the 2025 Vuelta a Espana was repeatedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protests — even suggesting a future where roadside access is no longer free.

Speaking on Viaplay, the former Tour de France star — better known as The Chicken — floated the possibility of cycling moving towards closed-circuit formats, with barriers, ticketing, and even security checks akin to stadium events.

“You could end up in situations where it turns into circuit races, where barriers have to be set up at such a distance that it effectively becomes a closed arena,” Rasmussen said. “I’m thinking in very extreme terms here – that people would need to buy a ticket, and like at a stadium, be subject to security checks.”

The remarks reflect growing unease within the sport after demonstrations disrupted no fewer than eight Vuelta stages. While the UCI eventually condemned the protests as “a serious breach of the Olympic Charter and the fundamental principles of sport,” Rasmussen believes cycling’s governing body was too slow to act. “From an official standpoint, some people have stuck their heads in the sand. I think, for instance, that the UCI has been enormously passive throughout this saga,” he argued.

If the UCI was sluggish, the Spanish government was the opposite. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez went as far as praising the demonstrators, calling Spain “a role model and a source of pride” for its defence of human rights.

That stance sparked fury from Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who accused Sánchez of encouraging violence — and Rasmussen has echoed the criticism. “It’s catastrophic to incite and even praise the demonstrators for their actions,” he said.

Michal Kwiatkowski has already voiced fears that cycling could be exploited as a protest stage, with serious sporting consequences. Rasmussen shares that concern, though he admits a fully ticketed, closed-arena model is unrealistic given that grand tours run through towns and cities.

Still, with political tensions simmering and the memory of the Vuelta disruptions still raw, the question is no longer whether cycling will need to rethink its open-access model — but how far organisers will be forced to go.