The Tour of Spain ended this Sunday with two victories: the sporting victory of Jonas Vingegaard and that of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, above all. The latter circumvented the important security measures deployed – the most significant in the country since a NATO summit in 2022 – to impose their fight on the streets of Madrid, forcing the definitive end of the final stage. Their presence was so powerful that the organizers canceled the final ceremony. The facts are unprecedented in the history of the Grand Tours.
We must measure what these activists accomplished over three weeks: through their numbers and their stubbornness, they managed to be seen as well as heard throughout the duration of the event, almost daily, stealing the spotlight – or at least competing for it – from the cyclists.
Vingegaard was moved just after being declared the winner of a competition where he never crossed the finish line, even if this outcome was no longer in doubt. “It’s a shame that this moment of eternity was stolen from us,” said the Dane. I am very disappointed. Everyone has the right to protest but not in a way that impacts or jeopardizes our race.”
Three days earlier, Thurgau’s Stefan Küng had also deplored the incidents that marked this Vuelta, regretting that the riders were being targeted. “We must not forget that we are only athletes,” he commented to “L’Équipe,” adding: “We have nothing to do with what is happening in Gaza.”
The Israel-Premier Tech team has much more than a name
The position is understood. For example, nothing justifies the fate of Javier Romo, this Spaniard forced to abandon following a fall caused by a demonstrator during the 15th stage.
That being said, the defensive reflex which consists of depoliticizing this Vuelta is unwelcome when one of its teams serves as the standard bearer of a country which is waging a catastrophic war – not to mention genocide, the term of which cannot be used lightly – in the Middle East. Israel-Premier Tech does not just have a name, it is voluntarily part of a soft power strategy.
Its owner and patron, billionaire Sylvan Adams, is close to Benjamin Netanyahu, the problematic Israeli Prime Minister. While he categorizes his actions as diplomacy rather than politics, he describes himself as “self-proclaimed ambassador of Israel.” In other words, he is working to improve the image of a nation whose military actions have already caused nearly 65,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip, according to figures relayed by the United Nations, and a situation of appalling famine. At a minimum, this amounts to defending the interests of the government.
Acknowledge the Obvious
The riders under contract with Israel-Premier Tech should not be held responsible for this disturbing reality but they participate in it, at the very least, and cannot ignore it. Neither does the rest of the peloton. If they can cope with it, then they must accept being confronted with it around competitions. We cannot take advantage of geopolitics and avoid the slightest controversy. Nothing goes together better than sport and politics, and always has. It’s time to recognize this and act accordingly.
There are priorities to respect. The Palestinian cause is one above all else in our time. This is why the demonstrations could not take second place in this Tour of Spain. As laudable as Jonas Vingegaard’s coronation is.
