Vingegaard defends protesters after latest incidents in Vuelta: "The media should give them some airtime"

Tensions had already been simmering in this year’s Vuelta. In Stage 11, no winner was declared in Bilbao due to a large protest at the finish, which compromised rider safety. That incident sparked widespread reactions and reignited debates, especially around whether Israel-Premier Tech should be allowed to continue in the race.

And then, on Sunday, it happened again. A large chase group was pursuing breakaway riders Jay Vine and Louis Vervaeke when they were startled by a protester attempting to enter the course. The individual ran out of the forest and fell onto the road, forcing several riders to swerve and leading to a crash.

Romo was the first rider to go down, followed by another crash shortly after. A photo that circulated on social media later that evening showed a larger group of protesters attempting to enter the road as Vine and Vervaeke rode past. Security appeared to have stopped them in time—perhaps explaining why they were quick to react when the stumbling protester emerged later on.

The finish line wasn’t entirely peaceful either. Before the riders had even reached the line, Danish TV showed footage of protesters being pushed off the road by police officers. By the time Mads Pedersen sprinted to victory from the breakaway, the situation along the route was under control. The peloton also passed through without further disruption.

After Stage 15, Jonas Vingegaard, the overall leader of the Vuelta, was asked about the ongoing protests. The Dane from Visma | Lease a Bike had previously stated that protesting in this way is pointless and puts riders in danger. However, he surprised many by now calling for the media to give protesters airtime. “People are protesting for a reason. What’s happening right now (in Gaza) is horrific.”

“The protesters want their voices to be heard, and I believe the media should give them that space in some way,” Vingegaard told TV2. “It’s unfortunate that the protests are taking place during the race, and nearly all riders agree on that, but these people are desperate to find a way to be heard.”