Overview

• Barcelona sports councillor David Escudé called for teams racing under the Israeli flag to compete neutrally or be excluded, citing the Russia precedent after the turbulent Vuelta.
• Pro‑Palestine demonstrations disrupted multiple Vuelta stages and led race direction to stop the Madrid finale, intensifying safety concerns for future events.
• Tour director Christian Prudhomme said ASO cannot exclude WorldTour teams and described the disruptions as a completely new phenomenon for road cycling.
• UCI rules assign eligibility decisions solely to the world governing body, while reporting characterizes Israel–Premier Tech as a privately owned team without direct state control.
• The controversy has widened as Canary Islands representatives voiced opposition to hosting if the team participates, leaving the Barcelona Grand Départ planning uncertain.