🎥 Applause for Vuelta organizers: time trial shortened for good reason, protesters forcefully removed from course

Almost daily, the Vuelta has faced interruptions from protesters waving Palestinian flags and shouting slogans, jumping onto the roads to draw attention to the devastating situation in Gaza. We’ve already seen several near misses, though fortunately crashes were kept to a minimum.

Having learned from these close calls, the organization decided late Wednesday night to cut the originally planned 27.2-kilometer time trial in Valladolid by 15 kilometers. The remaining 12.2 km went off smoothly: Filippo Ganna took the stage win, João Almeida shaved 10 seconds off his deficit to Jonas Vingegaard, and the day appeared to unfold without any incidents.

But a video shared on social media showed why the course was shortened and why security was present along every meter. Two protesters attempted to storm the road at the last minute but were violently tackled and removed by security staff. As a result, TV viewers saw no delays. It remains unclear which rider the duo was targeting.

With three stages remaining, the Vuelta a España will be hoping things continue to run smoothly, as far as that’s still possible. Large-scale protests are especially expected on the final day in Madrid. The city is deploying no fewer than 1,900 (!) police officers and security guards to ensure the final circuit stage can take place without disruption. Only the NATO summit typically sees more security.