Hoole notices the Vuelta protests are becoming more extreme: "You can see the aggression in their eyes"
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleFor the second time during this Vuelta a España, a stage was not completed due to major protests. Demonstrators blocked the final climb in stage 15, so the stage was decided 8 kilometers before the finish line. The pressure on the peloton is increasing, and the protests are also becoming a lot more aggressive, as Dutchman Daan Hoole has noticed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Egan Bernal ended up winning the fifteenth stage, but his first WorldTour victory since the 2021 Giro d’Italia was overshadowed by the chaotic circumstances. Things also went wrong during stage 11 to Bilbao: demonstrators at the finish made it impossible to declare a winner. The riders are fed up at this point.
Hoole addressed Tuesday's bizarre stage. “I have to say, it’s definitely getting more hostile and more unpleasant,” the Dutchman told NOS. “In the neutralized zone they threw tacks onto the road, so there were a lot of flat tires. Halfway through the stage, a few people tried to run into the peloton. Luckily, the police stopped them in time.”
It’s the second time a Vuelta stage couldn’t be completed. “When we heard that the final climb had been shortened, it didn’t affect me personally, since I wasn’t going to climb it anyway. But it’s definitely getting worse. Soon we won’t be able to hold a normal cycling race anymore. This is already the second time we haven’t been able to complete a stage as planned.”
Read on below the video!
Hoole: "What can we even do at this point?"
It gives the Lidl-Trek rider a feeling of helplessness. “It started with people just standing alongside the road with flags, which is fine. That’s their right, of course, to protest. But now it’s becoming more and more hostile and more extreme. We’ve already had a few moments where you’re literally riding through crowds of people, and you can see the aggression in their eyes. Then you start thinking: what can we even do at this point?”
The demonstrators are protesting the genocide in Gaza and believe a team like Israel-Premier Tech has no place in the sport. They point to how Russian teams were banned after the war in Ukraine began. “There’s obviously a team in the race that’s backed by Israel, but for the rest of the peloton, this is becoming very frustrating,” Hoole responded.
The time trial specialist is mainly against how much the demonstrators are interfering with the race. “I’m not necessarily scared, and it’s their right to protest. But it has to be safe and done the right way. I don’t think this is the right way. And I honestly don’t understand why we’re the ones who have to suffer because of it.”
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
🎥 Lucinda Brand pulls out of the Niel cyclocross race in tears after just a few minutes
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Britain's Cameron Mason takes his first top-level cyclocross win after rain causes havoc in Niel
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Sven Nys gave an update on Lucina Brand's injury: 'Difficult if you can't generate power'
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Schreiber slams disrespectful European cyclocross championship judges: 'They didn’t even let me finish speaking'
Latest Comments
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
