The 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race was shortened on Wednesday after pro-Palestinian protesters tried to burst onto the course at the finish line in Bilbao, sparking calls for the Israeli team's withdrawal.

"Due to some incidents at the finish line, we have decided to take the time at 3 kilometres before the line," the organisers of the Vuelta, cycling's third most-important Grand Tour, said.

Protests have targeted the Israel-Premier Tech team at each stage of this year's Vuelta.

On Wednesday, an AFP journalist saw demonstrators holding Palestinian flags appearing to be attempting to push barriers into the road to disrupt the event at the finish line.

A security advisor to the Basque regional government, Bingen Zupiria, said some behaviour at the race "compromised safety".

Zupiria said five people were identified by local police with three others arrested, while four officers were injured.

The UCI governing body "firmly condemned" the incident, saying cycling "has a role to play in bringing people together and overcoming barriers between them, and should under no circumstances be used as a tool for punishment".

"The UCI reiterates the fundamental importance of the political neutrality of sports organisations," it said in a statement, expressing "solidarity" with the teams who should "pursue their passion in optimal conditions of safety and serenity". (AFP)