Overview

• About 55 kilometers from the finish on Stage 15, a man with a Palestine flag jumped from bushes and startled the breakaway, causing Spain’s Javier Romo to crash as another rider went over him.
• Israel‑Premier Tech is racing under police protection and has taken the word “Israel” off its jerseys and other outfits for safety reasons, while keeping its official team name unchanged.
• Race organizers previously neutralized Stage 11 three kilometers from the line with no winner after mass demonstrations at the finish area.
• Protests have repeatedly targeted Israel‑Premier Tech, including an incident that halted the team during the Stage 5 team time trial.
• The unrest has fueled political debate in Spain, with Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares recently backing the idea of excluding the Israeli‑linked team, even as cycling’s governing body urges neutrality.