"We really wanted to go for this stage" - Visma lament Bilbao neutralization as Vingegaard hoped for stage win

What a day Wednesday was for cycling fans watching the third grand tour of 2025. Stage 11 of the Vuelta a España was supposed to be a highlight of the race, with Bilbao hosting a thrilling mountain finale. Instead, the day will be remembered for distressing scenes that forced the organisers to neutralize the stage three kilometres from the finish. Large groups of pro-Palestine demonstrators blocked the finishing straight, protesting against the presence of Israel - Premier Tech, whose sponsorship links to Israel have become a lightning rod. With safety concerns mounting, the results were cancelled, denying riders the chance to contest a stage win.

The political backdrop has been unavoidable. From the start of the Vuelta, protestors have disrupted the race, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and targeting the team’s involvement. Demonstrations along the route, including protestors stepping into the path of the peloton, have left organizers in a constant state of alert. At the finish in Bilbao, fears that barriers could be breached forced officials to act.

For Tom Pidcock, the neutralization was a bitter blow. The Briton distanced red jersey Jonas Vingegaard twice on the stage in what many saw as his best-ever general classification performance, only for the result to be largely erased.

Among the riders caught in the middle was Victor Campenaerts of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, who praised his teammates’ work despite the outcome. “The plan was to go for the stage win. We knew it would be difficult to control the pace on this course, as many riders would be so motivated. Dylan van Baarle and Wilco Kelderman did a fantastic job, setting the pace from the start. Three strong riders were ahead, but they quickly realized it wouldn't be for today.”

The neutralization left Campenaerts frustrated but pragmatic. “Unfortunately, there are no results, but we can move forward with confidence. Joao Almeida is the rider we fear most, and we've taken our time with him, so we can look back on a ‘good’ day,” he said. “We heard it ten kilometers from the last climb, and then everyone quickly knew what the situation would be. It's unfortunate: we would have liked to keep riding for results. But in the end, the work wasn't in vain, because we gained a few seconds back.”

Visma director Jesper Mørkøv echoed that sentiment. “We have mixed feelings. We really wanted to go for this stage, as everyone saw on TV. It's a shame we couldn't execute, but we saw the footage in the car, and that's just the way it is. The organizers communicated very clearly, and we passed that on to the riders. It's not up to us to say what's good or bad.” He added, with a hint of strategy, “We're not going to say too much yet, because we might do this again. He rode very strongly. He showed once again how explosive he is, and we definitely see him as one of Jonas' biggest competitors, although Jonas was also very strong.”