Pidcock worries for targets of pro-Palestinian protests

Britain’s Tom Pidcock says he worries about riders being targeted after extensive pro-Palestinian protests during the Vuelta a Espana.

The 26-year-old finished a career-best third at the three-week race – cycling’s final Grand Tour of the season – for his new Q36.5 team.

The Vuelta – won by Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard – was affected by protests across at least eight stages of the race, leading to crashes in the peloton and organisers having to end stages early.

The eight-man Israel-Premier Tech team, who included two British riders, were targeted, specifically on stage five’s team time trial.

Pidcock said: “Obviously I’m not going to comment on why people are protesting, but I worry about my friends who ride for the Israel [Premier Tech] team.

“They’re not riding to support Israel, they’re riding because they got an opportunity to race bikes around the world – at the end of the day they’re just like [the rest] of us. And same with all the staff.

“They had a pretty rough time of it – they have for a while, but it was worse [at the Vuelta].”

Pidcock explained that several riders became more worried as the three-week race progressed.

The final stage to Madrid was abandoned with around 60km to go after protestors stormed the course and minor scuffles broke out with some riders.

Pidcock, who has won two Olympic gold medals in mountain biking and one of the most gruelling stages of the Tour de France, spoke of his experience of seeing the disruptions occur.

“The last stage… when Felix [Gall] got pushed off his bike in Madrid, just before the race was stopped – yeah, that was overstepping it,” Pidcock said.

“On one stage they threw pins in the road, and a lot of riders punctured. But in general it never got to a point where I was seriously scared.

“I just don’t think people think about the consequences of what they’re doing. In the [time trial] I got hit in the face with a flag for example.”

Pro-Palestinian protestors aimed to disrupt the Vuelta to highlight the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 65,141 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The Israel-Premier Tech team were singled out on the time trial, in which protestors pulled a banner across the road and stopped four riders from continuing.

Israel-Premier Tech’s Israeli rider Nadav Raisberg explained that his team were fearful during the race, saying in a diary note: “What’s waiting for us today? Will they hurt us? Ambush us?”

Israel-Premier Tech were founded in 2014 and are co-owned by Canadian-Israeli property billionaire Sylvan Adams.

Adams has close ties to the Israeli government and has previously told BBC Sport he is a “self-appointed ambassador for Israel”.

For the 2021 season they signed British four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome on a big-money contract, and they have four other British riders in their squad.

But riders from several teams were affected, including Spain’s Javier Romo who abandoned after a crash on stage 15 when protesters ran toward the advancing peloton.

Pidcock said: “It’s a shame we get mixed up in it all.

“I think sport is about escape for people… lighthearted entertainment.

“For it to be so serious and every day you’re not sure where you’ll finish makes it all more difficult to do our passion.”

Pidcock is competing for Great Britain at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, which begins this weekend and is live on the BBC.

Although Pidcock says he is not fearful about what could happen at events in the future, some organisers are concerned.

“I’m not worried about it,” Pidcock said. “It’s up to other people who have got more at stake – the biggest stakeholders in the sport I guess.”

Cycling’s world governing body the UCI released a statement this week condemning the Spanish government for its political stance and the effect it said it had on the race.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said before the final stage began that he admired the protesters.

The UCI did, however, praise Vuelta organiser ASO, which also operates cycling’s biggest event, the Tour de France. It remains to be seen whether that race next year is also affected by political protests.

Israel-Premier Tech have invested heavily in cycling infrastructure in Rwanda’s capital in Kigali in the build-up to the Worlds.

BBC Sport has approached the UCI for comment on security plans for the event, which runs from 21-28 September.