"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

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.”

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.

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.

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.”