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Matthew Riccitello finished fifth overall in the Spanish Vuelta and won the white jersey for best young rider.
There was no stage winner and the podium ceremony was called off because of security concerns. Organizers said the final stage “ended early to ensure the safety of the riders.”
Stage 17 ended without any major incident after authorities limited the number of people who could reach the summit where the finish line was located. A couple of Palestinian flags were seen but no one tried to disrupt the race.
It was the second time a stage was cut short because of the protests at the three-week Grand Tour race in Spain.
The 2025 Vuelta a España begins on Saturday, August 23 and runs through Sunday, September 14.
The decision was made before Saturday’s 14th stage amid a difficult week for the team. It has faced protests before and during the race days, as well as pressure from both race officials and Spanish authorities.
Police had to be called in to contain the protesters, many of them carrying Palestine flags and pro-Palestine signs.
Jay Vine, of UAE Emirates, dropped the rest of a small breakaway group and stayed in front all the way up the final six miles to the category-one summit finish at the Pal in Andorra. He crossed the line in four hours, 12 minutes.
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will undergo surgery after “a serious training crash” that saw the British cyclist airlifted to a hospital in France.
In the overall standings, Vingegaard now has an 8-second lead over Spanish rider Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida of Portugal, who both ride for UAE.