Pedersen wins Vuelta stage 15 as protests disrupt race

Mads Pedersen claimed stage 15 of the Vuelta a España on Sunday, outsprinting Marco Frigo and Orluis Aular after a hilly 167.8km route from A Veiga to Monforte de Lemos. The Dane’s first victory of this year’s race also strengthened his grip on the green jersey. “They worked so hard to make it possible,” Pedersen said of his Lidl–Trek team. “It makes the victory even nicer to win when everyone knew our plan.”

The stage was marred by pro-Palestinian protests, with 10 demonstrators arrested after incidents that saw Spanish rider Javier Romo briefly fall. Organisers added extra barriers at the finish after repeated disruptions earlier in the race. Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall lead, 48 seconds ahead of Joao Almeida.

(Source: AFP)