Javier Guillén, director of the Vuelta a España, explains why the Israeli team wasn't kicked out: "There would be legal consequences."

The Vuelta a España had to be suspended during its final stage in Madrid due to pro-Palestinian protests. This follows a competition marked by tension and numerous incidents due to the presence of the Israel-Premier Tech team in the competition. La Vuelta director Javier Guillén explained why this team couldn't be expelled and, perhaps, put an end to the protests.

Guillén spoke on COPE's El Partidazo about whether the Israeli team will participate in future events: "We have to gather all the information. Here, it's the international organizations and then the UCI that must make the decision. It wasn't our responsibility; we couldn't kick him out because there would have been legal action for having gone against the way international organizations work. It's up to the UCI to decide who will race."

Likewise, the head of La Vuelta commented on the UCI's statement against the Spanish government: "I was surprised because we haven't spoken with the UCI, we haven't had any contact. We've had contact throughout La Vuelta because of what Team Israel generated, and once they said they had to continue and that they wouldn't expel them because there was no legal basis, in the end we tried to get to Madrid. The start of the Tour from Barcelona can't be lost."

However, Guillén did not comment on the words of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez: "I took note of the statements he made. The government has always said it is in favor of the demonstrations."

"Next year's Vuelta is almost a done deal. I haven't received any calls and I hope there aren't any. You have to know what people think to assess what we're doing," he said, referring to what will happen with next season's Vuelta.