"There is no plan B, we will continue" - Vuelta director wishes for no compromises in rest of the race

Javier Guillén, the director of the Vuelta a Espana, has spoken about the change of finish that they have been forced to make again due to the pro-Palestine protests at the finish of stage 16. In a press conference he regretted the incidents:

"You can't cut the stages, you can't block the passage of cyclists. It is illegal," the director states resolutely. "The penal code and the law of sport typify it. We are sport and sport serves to unite. Anything else is not linked to sport."

At the same time, Guillén makes it clear that he's not persay opposed to peaceful protests, without blocking the race. "Everyone who wants to use the communication platform of La Vuelta to give whatever message they want, and in this case it is the pro-Palestine message, which of course is something terrible that is happening and what we all want is peace, has its areas to be able to develop. We want to defend our sport, our career. We want to keep working."

Guillén continued his speech lamenting that the protests against the participation of the Israel team are not allowing La Vuelta to develop normally as it happened with the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France and, despite everything, he made it clear that the race will end on Sunday in Madrid and will not end before despite everything:

"I don't know, maybe our breeding ground is different from the rest of the countries. I don't want to go into that. I do have one thing in mind: the Giro has been run without any problem, the Tour has been run without any problem? I say this because of races that have just happened. We are in a totally different situation. We want to keep working. From there, the conclusions that everyone wants to draw about why there is one or another team, we always say the same thing: they have the legitimacy to do it. As long as they have it, they will continue to compete. It is the UCI and the team itself that have taken their position. We can evaluate any other type of scenario, we'll see in the next few days, but we want to work to get to Madrid. Plan B to get to Madrid? Substitute the stage? No, in no case."

Ezequiel Mosquera, former professional cyclist and current director of O Gran Camiño, shared his opinion on the complicated situation experienced during the day.

"It is a very complicated situation, very difficult to digest, we have experienced similar situations for other reasons, due to weather conditions that are beyond your control. When organizing a race there are circumstances beyond your control, the feeling of weightlessness is a difficult situation to describe. When you are in charge of a big circus like the Vuelta a España. I would not like to be in the shoes of the organization in a moment like today. Let's see if the race at least makes it to Madrid."

Mosquera also referred to the atmosphere prior to the interruption and the sensations left by the outcome: "It was rumored that it was going to happen, you saw the riders pushing, but when you see the sign that at 8 kilometers neutralized you get a little annoyed by the spectacle of the climb."

On the background of the situation and the nature of cycling as a popular sport, Mosquera added: "These are circumstances that are perfectly legitimate, they are demands, cycling is a democratic sport, unlike basketball or soccer, it is a sport of the people that is celebrated in 180 kilometers of route that has access to everyone. It brings the Champions League to your doorstep for the good and for the not so good."

And he concluded by saying the following: "In this case, I repeat, I am not judging the protesters who are claiming something that is perfectly legal and fortunately cycling gives visibility to these things, but well, when a race is cut short for riders, cyclists and fans it is a fiasco".