TOULOUSE, France (AP) — A man protesting the participation of an Israel-based team in the Tour de France ran onto the course as the leaders raced for the finish line on Wednesday.
Norwegian rider Jonas Abrahamsen won the 11th stage in a photo finish just ahead of Swiss rider Mauro Schmid, but their final sprint was accompanied by a man running alongside who wore a T-shirt saying, “Israel out of the Tour,” and who waved a keffiyeh, the black-and-white checkered headscarf that has become a potent symbol of the Palestinian cause.
A security guard ran out to apprehend the man.
The Israel-Premier Tech team, which includes Ottawa’s Michael Woods and Guillaume Boivin of Longueuil, Que., is racing at this year’s Tour with eight team members from other countries. The team acquired the right to enter the Tour de France in 2020 when Israel Start-Up National took over Katusha’s WorldTour license and has since claimed three stage victories, though none yet in this year’s race.
The team’s sporting director is Steve Bauer, a former pro who rode in 11 editions of the Tour de France and became the first Canadian to win a stage, doing so in 1988.
Team members have previously faced protests over the squad’s association with Israel, which has waged a 21-month war in Gaza that has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health ministry. The conflict began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel and Hamas are considering a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal that could pause the war.
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The Associated Press
