Protests forced cancellation of final stage in Madrid
Dismay at Israel-Premier Tech’s refusal to withdraw
World Tour cycling teams may refuse to race against Israel-Premier Tech following the multiple protests during the Vuelta a España that exploded into street violence in central Madrid on Sunday.
Sources within rival teams have expressed their dismay to the Guardian at the refusal of the team to withdraw from the Vuelta and the lack of protection from the International Cycling Union (UCI) for its own commercial and sporting interests.
Michal Kwiatkowski of Ineos Grenadiers was among those to publicly criticise the UCI for its lack of action during the Vuelta. The former world road race champion posted on social media: “If the UCI and the responsible bodies couldn’t make the right decisions early enough, then long‑term it’s very bad for cycling that the protesters managed to get what they wanted.
