More than 1,500 police on hand for final stage of Spanish Vuelta amid pro-Palestinian protests

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MADRID (AP) — More than 1,500 police officers have been deployed ahead of the final stage of the Spanish Vuelta in Madrid on Sunday as more pro-Palestinian protests were expected for the final stage of the three-week long cycling race.

The Grand Tour event turned into a diplomatic battleground and was largely disrupted by protesters against the presence of Israeli-owned team Premier Tech, which earlier in the race removed the team name from its uniforms.

Six of the last 10 days of racing were either cut short or interrupted, with more than 20 people detained by police. During one stage, a protester carrying a Palestine flag tried to run on to the road ahead of riders, causing two of them to crash. They continued but one of them had to eventually pull out of the race.

The route of the final stage, which is set to end Sunday evening in the Spanish capital, was cut short by 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) over traffic concerns.

Previous stages were altered because of safety concerns over the protests.

Authorities said the heavy police presence would be deployed for the finale in Madrid to add to the 130 officers already traveling with the race. Military-type trucks, officers in riot gear and horse-riding police were seen near the route in Madrid.

Some 6,000 protesters were expected in the Spanish capital on Sunday, along with about 50,000 fans.

There were no major incidents as the riders set off on the 103.6-kilometer (64.3-mile) final stage starting in nearby Alalpardo.

Jonas Vingegaard of team Visma-Lease a Bike is set to win the three-week race after extending his lead over João Almeida on Saturday. The Dane has a lead of 1 minute, 16 seconds over Almeida ahead of the mostly ceremonial ride into Madrid.

It would be Vingegaard's third Grand Tour title, adding to his pair of Tour de France titles won in 2022 and 2023.

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AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling