Cutting races short will stop protesters – cycling union boss

The professional cyclists’ union’s president claims that slicing down major road races like the Tour de France will help to deter protesters.

After La Vuelta a Espana’s final stage was significantly canceled last month, CPA president Adam Hansen made the call.

According to Hansen, “Protesters should have the platform taken from them; if they don’t, they won’t enter a race.”

Following pro-Palestinian protests that led to scuffles with riders and the course being blocked in a number of locations, the Vuelta’s final stage, around Madrid, was postponed.

During the three-week Grand Tour, there were numerous protests and disruptions that primarily targeted the Israel-Premier Tech team’s participation.

According to Hansen, a former rider and Grand Tour stage winner, “We saw that protesters had two hours of live TV in Madrid,” which turned into protests rather than races.

Although I’m not opposed to protesting, it’s the last thing we want riders to be in danger because some riders were hit and pushed off their bikes [in Madrid], so this is not protesting. It crosses that line.

Bike races cost a lot of money, and organizers rely on host towns and cities to cover the cost of services like policing rolling roadblocks and protecting the public. However, Hansen thinks that limiting short races won’t deter protesters.

The protesters wouldn’t have had a platform if La Vuelta had been canceled on a Friday and the last three days had not been broadcast on TV. We demonstrated there was a platform by trying each day, Hansen said.

Because we turned off the TV, cancelling would have shown them that there was no point in attending bike races. Yes, doing something like that for [Vuelta organisers] Unipublic is a huge deal. However, today’s sacrifice must be minor for cycling’s long-term viability.

Tom Pidcock, who finished third overall, worried about my friends who ride for the Israel [Premier Tech] team, according to Britain’s Tom Pidcock.

They are riding because they have the chance to compete on bikes all over the world, not to support Israel.

Since then, Israel-Premier Tech has been denied an invitation to the second-tier Giro dell’Emilia race in Italy on Saturday.

The title sponsor of the Canadian-Israeli team, Premier Tech, has stated that it anticipates that Israel will be renamed after the following year.

In response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the hostage of 251, the Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza.