Pedersen Wins Stage 15 as Vuelta Faces Protest Disruption; Jonas Vingegaard Holds Lead

Posted : 08 September 2025

Stage 15 of the Vuelta a España saw a minor disruption when a pro-Palestinian protester caused a crash with 56km remaining. The individual, carrying a Palestine flag, stumbled onto a grass verge and interfered with a group of riders near Castroverde during the 167.8km stage from A Veiga to Monforte de Lemos. Spain’s Javier Romo was among the most affected but was able to continue and complete the race.

Protests have been a recurring issue this year, with demonstrators waving Palestinian flags at the start and finish of stages. Spanish police intervened near Ribadeo to prevent further interruptions.

Israel-Premier Tech, the team linked to the protests, raced in modified jerseys without their team name on Saturday. The backdrop includes ongoing conflict in Gaza, where Israel’s military campaign has resulted in significant casualties since October 2023.

Despite the disturbance, Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek secured his first victory of this year’s Vuelta with a decisive sprint on the home straight. Pedersen surged past Italy’s Marco Frigo, with Orluis Aular of Venezuela finishing second.

Pedersen credited his teammates for their hard work during the breakaway that set up the win, describing the final sprint as perfectly executed. The main peloton, including overall leader Jonas Vingegaard, crossed the line more than 13 minutes later.

After a rest day on Monday, the race resumes with stage 16 on Tuesday, covering another medium mountain route from Poio to Castro de Herville. The top ten finishers for stage 15 were: Pedersen, Aular, Frigo, Santiago Buitrago, Eddie Dunbar, Egan Bernal, Louis Vervaeke, Jay Vine, Magnus Sheffield, and Alec Segaert. Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall lead, followed by Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock in second and third place respectively.

Elsewhere in cycling, France’s Romain Gregoire claimed victory at the Tour of Britain for Groupama-Fdj. The 22-year-old maintained a slim two-second advantage over Olympic road race champion Remco Evenepoel after stage six, despite finishing 13th in the final leg from Newport to Cardiff.

Stage victories went to Olav Kooij of the Netherlands, with Gregoire securing the green jersey and overall victory. Julian Alaphilippe finished third overall, while Oscar Onley was the highest-placed British rider in fourth.

Pedersen Wins Stage 15 as Vuelta Faces Protest Disruption; Jonas Vingegaard Holds Lead

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