Solidarity and support for the teams affected by the anti-Israel protests at the Vuelta a Espana over the past few days, but no action has been taken. The UCI has issued a statement on what is happening in the Spanish Grand Tour, but it has had no impact on the actual race neither has it made any decision. Israel - Premier Tech will start stage 12, not succumbing to the pressure from the race organizers and ongoing protests.
"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) firmly condemns the actions that led to the neutralisation of the 11th stage of La Vuelta Ciclista a España. The UCI reiterates the fundamental importance of the political neutrality of sports organisations within the Olympic Movement, as well as the unifying and pacifying role of sport," the press release began. "Major international sporting events embody a spirit of unity and dialogue, transcending differences and divisions".
"In this sense, the UCI reaffirms its commitment to the political neutrality, independence, and autonomy of sport, in accordance with the founding principles of the Olympic Movement. The UCI would also like to reiterate that sport, and cycling in particular, has a role to play in bringing people together and overcoming barriers between them, and should under no circumstances be used as a tool for punishment".
The 11th stage of the race in the Basque Country was always going to be a difficult one for the organization who knew beforehand of organized protests, but it was impossible to ensure safety of the riders at the finish in Bilbao, as in the first passage through the finish line, dozens tried to break through the barriers as the peloton rode by.
No measures taken
The times were neutralized with 3 kilometers to go and with no finish line or timing system - due to the last-minute decision, there was no time to move it, and there was also no stage classification or winner.
There is heavy discourse currently on whether the Israeli team will continue in the Vuelta or not, although neither the UCI or race organizers make the decision to expel it. According to Quique Iglesias of Cadena COPE, the Israeli team has made the decision to stay in the race.
"The UCI expresses its solidarity and support for the teams and their staff as well as the riders, who should be able to practice their profession and pursue their passion in optimal conditions of safety and serenity".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Ah, finally someone willing to be a bit proactive.Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
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- Shouldn’t you be in MOUrning?Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
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- I don’t think I know what’s beneath the surface but I am willing to think about it, discuss it, compare it to a known past, extrapolate to a potential future and ask/try to find out truth or even take action within my powers (boycotting something or someone is within EVERY person’s reach). If you think your attitude has more chance of changing a result, a process, a system or an institution or it just makes you feel good, keep at it but to me it looks like you’ve already given up before trying.Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
- All journalists should start asking the UCI uncomfortable questions, sending inquiries about the interpretation of the rules and the justification of the results. This is the only way to change anything.averagecyclist09-11-2026
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- how else is there to look at things? we are responding to words and pictures, we are not there. your long winded replies make zero sense to anyone. pretty much everyone but you says the same thing. MS was robbed. somehow you think you're so smart to dig beneath the surface and discover something no one else, including the opposing coach and cyclist, saw. lol. you are a tool.mij09-11-2026
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
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