“Secure the event” – Richard Plugge pleads with Vuelta organisers to take control

Stage 16 of the 2025 Vuelta a España should have ended with a showdown on the climb to Castro de Herville. Instead, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the road in the final kilometres, forcing the organisers to halt the race eight kilometres early. The decision handed Egan Bernal his first Vuelta stage victory, but for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the aftermath was dominated by frustration over yet another disruption to the race. It was the second time in less than a week that a stage had been curtailed because of protests, and the Dutch squad made it clear that more needs to be done to protect the riders.

CEO Richard Plugge voiced the team’s position in a statement immediately after the stage. “It is really unfortunate that this decision once again had to be taken to guarantee the riders’ safety. As long as the race organizers and the UCI allow the Vuelta to continue, I assume they can also ensure it is done in complete safety.

“But this is already the second time they have had to reconsider that during the race, and that has an impact on the outcome of the race. I would like to once again call on the public not to interfere with our riders and the race. At the same time I urge the organizers to do everything possible to secure the event so that we can all enjoy an exciting battle in the final week of the Vuelta.”

Plugge’s comments underlined the sense of unease inside the peloton. Safety has become the priority, but teams are increasingly concerned about the sporting integrity of the race. With general classification gaps measured in seconds, the loss of a decisive climb can alter tactics and rob both riders and spectators of the decisive moments they expect in a Grand Tour. For a team like Visma, defending the red jersey with Jonas Vingegaard, each kilometre counts.

Vingegaard himself spoke with visible disappointment at the finish. “It’s a shame that this has happened again,” he said, reflecting on how the protests prevented the race from reaching its natural conclusion. “Everyone has a right to protest, but it’s a shame that it has to happen here and, in this way, and that we can’t finish the race. That should not happen. The team worked well today, and I would have loved to honour their work in the final of the race. It’s a shame that the Spanish cycling fans did not get to see an exciting finale.”

The Dane’s words touched on the two major consequences: the denial of a proper sporting contest and the disappointment of the fans who had lined the roads. It is an incredibly sensitive topic, and there are certainly more important things in the world than cycling. But a balance needs to be found, and fast, so that the protesters can utilise their rights, without endangering the riders.

The protests have become a defining subplot of this Vuelta. Stage 11 in Bilbao was neutralised with no winner after a similar incident, and now Stage 16 has been cut short in Galicia. Even the stage on the Angliru saw disruption on the climb. The race director has promised that the event will finish in Madrid, but each interruption raises questions about how well the route can be secured in the final week. Plugge’s call for stronger guarantees echoes a wider sentiment across the peloton that riders cannot be left to face uncertainty day after day.

Visma remain in control of the race with Vingegaard still in red, yet their focus is shifting as much toward the off-road challenges as to their rivals on the climbs. For the team, the hope is that the last days of the Vuelta can be decided by legs and tactics rather than protests and diversions.