"The Professional Cyclists' Association (CPA) has demanded better security at the Vuelta a Espana after protesters disrupted stages in recent days, with one rider crashing when demonstrators ran on to the road. The CPA expressed concern about rider safety after incidents on Tuesday's stage 10 and Wednesday's stage 11, as well as last week's team time trial when protesters holding Palestinian flags stopped the Israel-Premier Tech team."
"The CPA said that everyone has the right to protest but not at the expense of athletes who are simply doing their job. It is unacceptable that associations, whatever their nature or motivations, should allow themselves to compromise the safety and physical integrity of athletes on the road, the CPA said in a statement. Cycling is a demanding sport that requires total dedication and superhuman effort from riders."
"Tuesday's protest led to several riders taking evasive action but Simone Petilli of Intermarche-Wanty fell on the road. "I understand that is not a good situation, but yesterday I crashed because of a protest on the road, Petilli said on X. Please, we are just cyclists and we are doing our job, but if it will continue like this our safety is not guaranteed any more, and we feel in danger. We just want to race."
Protesters disrupted multiple stages of the Vuelta a Espana, at times entering the road and forcing neutral-zone stoppages. One rider, Simone Petilli, crashed after taking evasive action during a protest, and another incident halted the Israel-Premier Tech team in a team time trial. The Professional Cyclists' Association demanded stronger security measures and asked Spanish security services to protect riders, calling such disruptions unacceptable and dangerous. The CPA emphasized that athletes should not face added external risks while performing demanding physical efforts. Riders and former professionals urged spectators to respect competitors and avoid endangering them.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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