Spanish Vuelta Final Stage Cancelled as Pro-Palestinian Protesters Storm Cycling Event in Madrid

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THE iconic Spanish Vuelta's final stage was cancelled on Sunday after thousands of rowdy pro-Palestinian demonstrators stormed the track in Madrid. Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard won the annual competition but was denied his victory lap after protesters blocked the finish line - causing organisers to abandon the event. Swathes of pro-Palestine campaigners descended over the capital for the 21st stage of the chaos-stricken competition. The trouble-ridden event came to a close after facing weeks of furious criticism over the Israeli-Premier Tech team's participation. Waving Palestinian flags and chanting pro-Gaza slogans, scores of demonstrators tore down barriers before spilling onto the course where athletes were set to pass. An increased number of police officers had been deployed in preparation for the expected carnage. Cops called it an extraordinary deployment and responded to the crowds with tear gas and charges. After learning organisers had cancelled the stage before the cyclists had even arrived due to the raucous, demonstrators cheered in triumph. Waves of protesters were seen chanting: Palestine wins this Vuelta! They shouted terms including boycott Israel , it's not a war, it's a genocide , no more deaths of innocent children , while swamping the streets. The protests, which aim to shed light on the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, had already generated huge attention and disrupted the race on several occasions. The organisers said: For security reasons, stage 21 of La Vuelta has been ended early. There will be no podium ceremony. And they confirmed: The race has been officially ended and Jonas Vingegaard is the winner. The activism had already forced some stages to be shortened, and in some cases caused crashes with demonstrators bursting onto the track. Campaigners protested throughout the event, starting from its fifth stage. The uncontrollable scenes sparked fears for rider safety and the integrity of the competition. Anticipating more trouble for the finale of one of Europe's most prestigious bike races, authorities deployed 1,100 cops to Madrid. It marked the largest security arrangement since the 2022 Nato summit. Despite the strength in numbers, reinforcements were unable to stop the relentless security breaches.