🎥 Israel-Premier Tech responds with shock after protest during Vuelta team time trial

The team had been on the road for about five minutes when the route was suddenly blocked by a group of protesters. Carrying Palestinian flags and a large banner, the demonstrators forced the team to slow down. The police motorcycles riding ahead of the riders did their job and managed to clear the road reasonably well, but the riders still had to brake heavily. Part of the team even had to put a foot on the ground. A top result was therefore no longer in the cards for the team.

The incident came just a few days after Derek Gee announced his departure. The Canadian team leader, who finished fourth in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year, was not selected for the Vuelta a España. He later announced that he had, with legal assistance, torn up his contract. Whether these two events are connected is unclear, but in any case, it marks the second major setback for the team in a short period of time.

Israel-Premier Tech has now issued a statement about the protest. “Israel-Premier Tech respects everyone's right to freedom of speech, which includes the right to protest peacefully,” the statement begins. “But we absolutely condemn the dangerous actions of the protesters on stage five of the Vuelta a España, which not only compromised the safety of our riders and race personnel, but the protesters themselves.”

“The team continues to work with race organizers and relevant authorities to ensure our safety at the Vuelta a España, and ensure any protests do not impact our safety, nor our right to race.” New footage of the incident has now surfaced, clearly showing just how much time the team lost: they finished 19th, 54 seconds behind the stage winners.

Race director Javier Guillén was also unhappy about the incident and announced that legal action will be taken. “We are going to file a complaint. We cannot allow what happened,” the Spaniard said firmly. He, too, supports the right to protest, but not in this manner. “When force is used to make a statement, it is no longer a just cause.”