Giulio faced the wind and made history in hostile terrain
Unpredictable and dangerous. This is how Marca newspaper describes the final days of the 80th edition of the Vuelta a España in its Wednesday edition. By now, what was supposed to be the last major competition on the global road cycling calendar has become a stage for protests, and some are even saying the competition may not end in Madrid next year. The reason? The participation of Israel-Premier Tech. Consequently, the Vuelta organizers shortened Tuesday's stage in Galicia, having already done so in the Basque Country, due to the lack of all safety conditions, as pro-Palestinian protesters invaded the final climb, Castro de Herville, which was expected to be crucial in the race's finale, especially given the strong Portuguese presence. During the stage, cyclists also reported a thumbtack attack by protesters.
"I want to express our rejection of what we experienced today [Tuesday], once again. We will continue competing in the Vuelta, and tomorrow [Wednesday], we will set off on the stage. We have rules, and they must be followed. You can't impede the passage of cyclists; it's illegal because it's defined in the Penal Code and in sports law. There was a football match between Italy and Israel, Israel participated in the European Championships... No international federation banned their participation, no body has established sanctions. We want to defend our sport and our race. This isn't a battle, and I'm not fighting anyone. I just want the race to take place. Madrid? Our goal is to get there," said Javier Guillén, director of the Spanish race, at a press conference.
Leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) also spoke about the incidents in an interview with Marca. “Of course, it's scary that they would do this in a cycling race and put our lives at risk. I don't think it's the right way to do it, but as I said, I think they're desperate. Of course, we're all afraid of what might happen. I think if there's no violence, it's not a problem. If they're on the side of the road with their signs, they don't pose a risk to the race or our safety. But, as I said, they want to make their voices heard, and I understand that,” shared the Dane.
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who remains second overall and fighting for victory in the Vuelta, also said he "understands the protests." "I think we need to demonstrate for what we want, but always peacefully, without causing problems. And that's not happening. There are days when the race is interrupted or cyclists are put in danger. For me, fighting for a cause violently makes no sense. They're certainly looking for visibility, for people to see it on television. As long as they don't do it aggressively and don't put us in danger, they can demonstrate for what they believe. Everyone has their right," the Portuguese rider explained to the same source. In light of the incident, the organization decided to mobilize an additional 400 riot police—the so-called riot police—who joined the 123 who have been monitoring the race since day one.
???? Good morning from O Barco de Valdeorras! Another day for the break? ????
???? Good morning since O Barco de Valdeorras! Will we have an escape again? #LaVuelta25 pic.twitter.com/54dgsflFng
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 10, 2025
Amidst the protests, stage 17 of the Vuelta a España began with another big question mark. The finish line at Alto de El Morredero began to develop strong winds in the early morning hours, and the finish line, along with all the logistics involved in a race of this nature, had to be delayed for safety reasons. Before reaching that Ponferrada climb, the cyclists had to cover less than 140 kilometers, starting at O Barco de Valdeorras. Despite passing the Paso de las Traviesas midway through the stage, the final decision was saved for the explosive El Morredero, with 8.8 kilometers at an average gradient of 9.7% and areas with gradients of 14% and 16%. The day began with a meeting between all the teams, where it was unanimously decided that the Vuelta would continue, but that the cyclists could cancel the race if a serious incident occurred. Furthermore, Movistar officially signed Raúl García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), one of the surprises of this Vuelta before he abandoned it in the tenth stage.
????- 100 km | Stage 1️⃣7️⃣ – Stage 1️⃣7️⃣ | #LaVuelta25
???? A group of 12 riders has managed to get away, with a gap of +1'30" over the peloton
???? There are 12 cyclists, escaping with 1'30" on the peloton
????????? Harold Tejada????????? Sergio Samitier????????? Antonio Tiberi????????? Gijs Leemreize
????????… pic.twitter.com/SEqXCNS3qX
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 10, 2025
With rain appearing on the race, 12 riders joined the front of the pack, notably Harold Tejada (XDS Astana), who was looking to break into the top 10. Besides the Colombian, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) was shaping up as a name to watch for the stage. Attacks began to emerge as they passed Ponferrada, with the final 30 kilometers remaining. Tiberi and Tejada were left alone at the front, and in the peloton, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe picked up the pace, eliminating the breakaway with 12 kilometers to go. Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step) was the first member of the top 10 to give way, followed by Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale). The approach to the climb was made with Visma in the lead, who immediately increased the pace in the first few meters, which meant that Almeida was left without any teammates.
With 6.2 kilometers to go, Jai Hindley (Red Bull) attacked and cut through the group, leaving the Portuguese rider cut off. Bota Lume then launched another Almeidada and rejoined 700 meters later, when Matthew Riccitello (Israel) counterattacked. Entering the final four kilometers, Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull) attacked and forced the American to respond. Further ahead, the Italian re-attack and managed to escape the group for good. The attacks continued, without success, as Pellizzari became the first non-Spanish cyclist to win El Morredero, also claiming the first victory of his professional career. In second place came Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5), 16 seconds behind, with Hindley completing the stage podium, 18 seconds behind. Vingegaard followed (20 seconds behind), gaining two seconds on Almeida (22), fifth on the stage.
The young man who stopped the wind ????️????️
Vingegaard shaves a few seconds off Almeida in a day of sufficiency and Giulio Pellizzari debuts his record of victories at Morredero.
????????♂️ You have seen it on @Eurosport_ES and @StreamMaxES . #LaVuelta25 pic.twitter.com/WfICFwC1Yd
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) September 10, 2025
Overall, Jonas Vingegaard will head into Thursday's time trial with a 50-second lead over João Almeida, with Tom Pidcock 2.28 minutes behind the Dane. Teammates Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari follow, 3.04 and 3.51 seconds behind, respectively.
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