Vingegaard prevails as Vuelta ended by anti-Israel protests

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard won the Vuelta a Espana on Sept 14, but was denied crossing the line in triumph as the 21st and final stage of the trouble-hit three-

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week race was abandoned when pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the finish in Madrid.

“It’s a pity that such a moment of eternity was taken from us. I’m really disappointed about that,” said Vingegaard, who celebrated in his team car rather than the podium.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider effectively wrapped up victory in the last Grand Tour of 2025, after winning the mountain stage on Sept 13 to stretch his lead over Portugal’s Joao Almeida to 1min 16sec.

The Sept 14 ride from Alalpardo into the capital was always going to be little more than a procession for the peloton but, with riders already in Madrid and approaching the city circuit, they were halted at around 6.20pm local time with 60km remaining.

“For security reasons, Stage 21 of La Vuelta has been ended early. There will be no podium ceremo-