La Vuelta 2025 ***SPOILERS***

[rich p]

what the feck do Israel acheive by riding round advertising a genocidal state?

It's always been a weird team/name. Is there any state money involved, I wonder.

And most people had an opinion on apartheid, but shunning apartheid South Africa both economically and culturally was effective in ending it.

Agreed but South Africa and white South Africans cared massively about cricket and rugby isolation whereas Israelis, I suspect, don't give a toss about cycling.
Nevertheless, I feel kind of dirty even discussing it on here, as I detest what's going on in Gaza. Any target is fair game so fair enough.
The West have been ignoring or tacitly supporting what Israel is doing, for a long time now.
My non-cycling friends are, sadly, almost totally unaware of this particular protest.

 

[Pross]

It's always been a weird team/name. Is there any state money involved, I wonder.


Agreed but South Africa and white South Africans cared massively about cricket and rugby isolation whereas Israelis, I suspect, don't give a toss about cycling.
Nevertheless, I feel kind of dirty even discussing it on here, as I detest what's going on in Gaza. Any target is fair game so fair enough.
The West have been ignoring or tacitly supporting what Israel is doing, for a long time now.
My non-cycling friends are, sadly, almost totally unaware of this particular protest.

I don't think the state actually provides money which makes it even more of an odd decision. Pretty sure they announced recently they're dropping Israel from the name next season but that's shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, been shot and put into Findus crispy pancakes.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

Yet, here we all are, still watching the race.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't think the state actually provides money which makes it even more of an odd decision. Pretty sure they announced recently they're dropping Israel from the name next season but that's shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, been shot and put into Findus crispy pancakes.

No, it's not like UAE or Bahrain where the (lovely, blameless) governments directly fund the team. Nor is it like Astana Qazaqstan which is a collection of (sate owned ) industries. It's an enthusiastic billionaire* wanting to own a cycling team and promote his adopted nation.

The possible dropping of the Israel name was reported on here earlier and someone quoted Sylvan Adams as denying it as fake news.

* Actually two, Sylvan Adams and Ron Baron, but the latter has a lower profile.

 

[mididoctors]

I'd be very surprised if anyone watching a fairly niche sporting event hasn't already got a firm opinion on the situation one way or the other.

It's Israeli opinion of how others see them . That's how the SA sporting boycott worked . Made white south Africans feel shunned . " We don't want you here," probably have less impact cos Israel is 5hit at sports ....but still

 

[rich p]

To be honest, I'd completely forgotten the Canadian connection with Team Genocide.
Surely the Montreal and Quebec races are under severe pressure to exclude IPT or risk massive security issues

 

[mididoctors]

Anyway, a major victory for my lacklustre Velogames team today.

It's annoying I..I reckon pidcock was suited to that final climb

 

[KingstonGraham]

Yet, here we all are, still watching the race.

well, kind of.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I wonder what PremierTech (waste water treatment and water management) think about all this, and whether they like the publicity that their sponsorship has bought for them.

 

[TomDW]

Has there been any communique from the protesters? Are they directing their protest at the Vuelta, Madrid or simply the Israel govt ? If it's disrupted tomorrow then what?

Sanchez's government has taken some belated action at least.

Found good piece here at Velo:
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...l-it-takes-is-1-person-to-do-something-crazy/

 

[Adam4868]

Stoked for Bernal and his win without forgetting the great Landismo....who knows what would have happened on that last climb.
Anyway both would have been worthy winners.
Shame this race is starting to feel so tainted ffs.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Given that Landa would lose a sprint in which he was the only one racing, it's surely no surprise Bernal beat him in a two up sprint.

 

[DCLane]

Just tell IPT to f**k off . No one wants them including a fair number of the ipt squad

And you then give free reign to any protest, on any platform.

It'd result in chaos at every sporting event and a total change to the routes and ability to spectate.

Campaign against chemicals? Disrupt until Ineos go.

Against global supermarkets? Disrupt until Lidl Trek leave

Etc

Etc

 

[No Ta Doctor]

And you then give free reign to any protest, on any platform.

It'd result in chaos at every sporting event and a total change to the routes and ability to spectate.

Campaign against chemicals? Disrupt until Ineos go.

Against global supermarkets? Disrupt until Lidl Trek leave

Etc

Etc

Not really, you actually need a lot of popular support and a mass protest movement. People have been disrupting sports events for centuries (remember the suffragettes?) It's pretty hard to have that much effect on the event itself

 

[roadrash]

It's pretty hard to have that much effect on the event itself

Its had more than enough effect on the vuelta already