Bernal wins as another Vuelta stage cut short by protests

7 hours ago 5

Egan Bernal of Colombia and Team INEOS Grenadiers competes in the breakaway during the La Vuelta

ByAdwaidh Rajan

BBC Sport journalist

France's Egan Bernal won stage 16 of the Vuelta a Espana that had to be shortened by eight kilometres because of pro-Palestinian protests.

Protests aimed at the Israel-Premier Tech team have disrupted several stages of this year's race, including stage 11 which was shortened without a winner last week.

However, on Tuesday, the race directors decided the winner and took times early after "a big protest at three km before the finish line".

The stage was scheduled to run along a 168km stretch from Poio to Castro de Herville before it was cut short.

In Sunday's stage 15, a protestor caused a minor crash that involved Spain's Javier Romo, who abandoned this year's race on Tuesday saying he was "not feeling very well, mentally or physically".

The 26-year-old Movistar rider had suffered "only bruises" during the fall and was able to complete the race on Sunday but quit with 80km to go in stage 16.

The team time trial in stage five was also disrupted when the Israel-Premier Tech team, owned by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, were stopped on the road by a group of protesters holding Palestinian flags.

Bernal, riding for Ineos Grenadiers, secured the victory on stage 16 in three hours, 35 minutes and 10 seconds, finishing ahead of Spanish rider Mikel Landa.

France's Brieuc Rolland took third place while British rider Finlay Pickering, 22, finished eighth.

Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard remains top of the general classification with Joao Almeida 48 seconds behind, while Great Britain's Tom Pidcock sits third.

Friday will see another medium mountain stage stretching 143km from O Barco de Valdeorras to Ponferrada.

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 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.