EL PAÍS

Madrid turns final stage of Vuelta cycling race into a demonstration against Israel

Juan José Martínez, José Marcos García — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 03:30:01 +0000

At 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, the peloton was scheduled to enter the final stretch of La Vuelta, a 3,100 kilometer (1926 miles) race that takes place across Spain, similar to the Tour de France. The cyclists were pedaling along Madrid’s Paseo del Prado, heading toward the finish line at the Cibeles roundabout. But nobody finished the race.

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The Paris Olympics bell that all athletes dream of ringing

Juan José Martínez — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 17:25:29 +0000

Few sounds convey as much solemnity as that of a bell. This instrument of antiquity has been used throughout history to transmit information of interest, to warn of an important event, an attack, deaths, or rites. A source of information and emotion, they adorn the tops of town halls, hermitages and churches, especially after being adopted by Christianity in the 5th century. Their carved bronze roars congregate the faithful and send pigeons flying, although at the Paris Games, they have also given more than one athlete wings. The organizers of the Olympic Games have installed one in the glorious Stade de France and it has become a modern icon of greatness. Ringing it is an honor reserved “only for gold medalists,” explained Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, who told the Associated Press the instrument is an opportunity to bring athletes and spectators together.

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In Spain’s wealthiest town, residents protest against luxury development that will cut down thousands of trees

Juan José Martínez — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:55:37 +0000

The harmonious silence that once enveloped La Cabaña, a natural space located within the city limits of Pozuelo de Alarcón, just outside Madrid, has been cut short by the sound of heavy machinery and the roar of chainsaws. This area has been slated to become a luxury development: the Montegancedo project will transform 70 hectares of forest into 1,050 homes, bringing nearly 4,000 new residents to an area of town where fewer than 2,000 live today. The plans initially involve cutting down a thousand trees just to create the roads of this new neighborhood. Nearly 300 have already been felled since early June, including centenary holm oaks with trunks up to 40 centimeters in diameter. The damage “is irreversible,” says a neighborhood association called Salvemos Montegancedo (Let’s Save Montegancedo).

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