The teams had been previously alerted by the Vuelta organizers about possible disruptions and were all prepared to remove the riders in case of problems related to pro-Palestinian protesters. Each team had two additional support vehicles following the race, as requested by the organization, to safely evacuate the riders if the situation deteriorated. Unfortunately, yesterday near Madrid, the race was stopped by protesters and, following a precise escape plan, the riders were quickly taken back to the hotel. There were no award ceremonies or winner's speech: the only possible action was to return to the hotel and quickly move away from the race route. Jonas Vingegaard and his teammates were immediately evacuated and while moving away, they tried to contact their families who were in the finish area.

"I am extremely proud of this victory, this is my first Vuelta win and the third Grand Tour of my career - Vingegaard declared after the final stage – It was three difficult weeks. My stage victory at Bola del Mundo gave me great satisfaction. It was an excellent way to conclude this Vuelta".

Despite the joy of his recent victory, the Danish rider was disappointed about not being able to ride the final stage and celebrate his victory in Madrid with his teammates. "The Vuelta tradition is to arrive in Madrid where this city offers iconic celebration scenes for riders. Group photos and champagne toasts happened, but due to the protests, we had to stop and were not allowed to enter the city circuit".

The last happy images of this Vuelta were the ritual photos, first with the jerseys of various classifications and then of the top three finishers, Vingegaard, Almeida, and Pidcock, with a champagne glass in hand while cycling towards Madrid. Then everything was abruptly interrupted by protesters who invaded the race route. "It's a shame that a moment of joy and images that could have lasted forever were stolen from us. I am truly disappointed. I was looking forward to celebrating this final victory with my team and fans. Everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that affects or compromises our race".

In recent days, Vingegaard had said he perfectly understood the motivations of the participants, emphasizing that they were only seeking visibility for their protest. However, yesterday the situation was different, because there were many pro-Palestinian protesters and on the opposite side of the city, Israeli supporters had also taken to the streets. The riders said that the atmosphere was very tense and somewhat gloomy, and most feared for their families at the finish line.

"I repeat: everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that affects or compromises our race, and unfortunately that's what happened yesterday".