"Some teams wanted to stop the whole Vuelta - I was wearing the red jersey, so I was glad it continued”: Jonas Vingegaard goes in depth on chaos of Vuelta protests
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard has opened up for the first time about the chaotic scenes that overshadowed the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, revealing how close the peloton came to abandoning the race altogether during the height of the protests that repeatedly halted stages.
The Dane, who ultimately went on to win the red jersey in Madrid ahead of João Almeida and Tom Pidcock, told Wieler Revue that tensions were high in the bunch throughout the race, with several teams arguing that the Grand Tour should even be stopped entirely as demonstrations intensified.
“There’s a CPA group chat, and Matteo Jorgenson represents our team in it,” Vingegaard explained. “As a team, we always said we wanted to keep racing. Some squads wanted to stop the whole Vuelta, but I was wearing the red jersey — I was glad it continued.”
Peloton unity amid escalating protests
The 2025 edition of the Vuelta was repeatedly interrupted by activists targeting the presence of Israel - Premier Tech, with roads blocked and stages delayed in northern Spain. At one point, race organisers reportedly asked the Israeli team to withdraw from the event to calm tensions — a request the squad refused.
Vingegaard said the riders had agreed internally on how to react if protests flared up again. “There was a lot of discussion about what the organisers and the UCI could do,” he recalled. “Among the riders, we agreed that if something happened during a stage, we would stop racing. Then we’d try again the next day. In the past, there was always at least one team that wanted to keep going, but this time there was unity.”
That consensus marked a rare moment of solidarity in a peloton often divided by team interests. According to sources within the race, the agreement was seen as a way of protecting both rider safety and the sport’s credibility during one of the most politically charged Grand Tours in years.
“We realised how vulnerable we are”
The double Tour de France champion admitted that the unrest forced him — and many others — to reflect on how easily the sport can be disrupted.
“Our sport is very fragile,” he said. “It’s easy for someone to protest and block the road. After the stage in Bilbao, many people realised how vulnerable we are — and how simple it is to make headlines. I hope we don’t face serious problems like that again in the future.”
The 2025 Vuelta became a flashpoint in wider debates over the intersection of politics and professional cycling, as protests against Israel - Premier Tech’s participation brought the race to a standstill multiple times. The events prompted renewed discussions between the UCI, organisers, and the riders’ union over how to handle demonstrations that directly target teams or sponsors.
Empathy for Israel - Premier Tech riders
Despite being at the centre of the controversy, Vingegaard expressed understanding for the Israel - Premier Tech riders caught in the crossfire. “I spoke with a few of them,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure on their shoulders, and all the protests were directed at them. I don’t know whether they felt safe, but it must have been tough. It wasn’t a pleasant situation for anyone — including them.”
For Vingegaard, the 2025 Vuelta will be remembered not just for his dominant ride to a third Grand Tour title, but for the off-bike turmoil that exposed just how fragile the sport can be.
“After those days,” he reflected, “everyone in the race realised how quickly things can change — and how easily cycling can become a platform for something much bigger than sport.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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