Ask any cycling fan in a few years’ time what they remember of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana and it’s unlikely to be the feats of Mads Pedersen, first man to win both Giro and Vuelta green jerseys in a year since Eddy Merckx in 1973; or Jonas Vingegaard’s first grand tour victory in two years; or Tom Pidcock’s brilliant fight for a maiden grand tour podium finish.
Instead, they’ll remember the pro-Palestine protests that essentially brought the race to its knees. Initial small-scale peaceful demonstrations, mostly targeted at the participation of team Israel Premier-Tech, spiralled as the race went on and the team refused to pull out.
