Cyclists' union head backs shortening races to deny platform to anti-Israel protests

After riders were pushed off their bikes amid rallies during Spanish Vuelta last month, Adam Hansen laments that live coverage has been focusing on demonstrations, not sports

International professional cyclists’ union (CPA) president Adam Hansen has proposed shortening major races to deny protesters a platform and safeguard riders following disruptions at the Vuelta a España last month.

The Vuelta, one of cycling’s Grand Tours, suffered several disruptions by pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters, with Israel–Premier Tech the main focus of the protests. The final stage in Madrid was abandoned after demonstrators blocked the finish line.

“Protesters should have the platform taken away from them; if they have no platform, they won’t go to a race,” Hansen told BBC Sport on Thursday.

“We saw that in Madrid, protesters had two hours of live TV, which became just about protesting and not the race,” he said. “I’m not against protesting, but putting riders in danger is the last thing we want — some riders were hit and pushed off their bikes [in Madrid], and this is not protesting.”

Hansen conceded that canceling parts of races would be a huge deal for organizers.

“But we have to make a small sacrifice today for the long-term future of cycling,” he added.

Australia’s Adam Hansen rides during the 25.5km 5th stage of the 77th Paris-Nice cycling race, an individual time-trial between Barbentane and Barbentane, in France, on March 14, 2019. (Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP)

The Israel–Premier Tech team has been excluded from the upcoming Giro dell’Emilia over public safety concerns.

The Premier Tech group, which co-sponsors the team and is the manufacturer that supplies the riders with their bikes, has said it wants the team to remove the word “Israel” from the name.

The war in Gaza broke out after terrorists led by Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.

Recent weeks have seen a surge in calls to boycott Israel in sporting and cultural events amid the stepped-up Israeli military operations in Gaza and the suffering of the civilian population in the Strip.

Israel denies accusations of genocide and says it takes measures to minimize harm to civilians, but blames Hamas for using Gazans as human shields and deeply embedding itself in civilian infrastructure.