Milan, 15 September. (LaPresse) – "I want to express my regret and above all condemn what happened in the last stage. Few comments are necessary on what we saw yesterday. The images speak for themselves. Everything that happened is unacceptable, especially in the circuit area." Thus said the director of the Vuelta Javier Guillén during a press conference in the aftermath of the sensational decision to cancel the last stage due to protests by pro-Palestine demonstrators. "We find nothing good in what happened and I deeply regret the image we have given, something that should not be repeated. We have repeated throughout this Vuelta that we could coexist perfectly with sporting events. When you call for a boycott of the race, you harm everyone," he added. "We think it is a good idea to use the La Vuelta platform to make a statement. Just as we respect the right to demonstrate, but we demand respect for the race and our athletes. The right to demonstrate protects those who want to express their opinion, and must also respect those who experience this situation", said Guillén who finally explained on the presence of Team Israel in the race: "The UCI has taken the position of keeping the team in the race. We have stuck to what they told us. No federation vetoed or excluded Israel."
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