In a month and a half, Barcelona will experience the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. The event is already one of the dates marked in red on the calendar of the Catalan city, but the City Council wants “the start of the tour to be a great civic celebration.” This is how Mayor Jaume Collboni described it at the press conference where the Festa Major of the Tour was presented: more than 60 activities scheduled from June 26 to July 5, including concerts, theater, and gastronomy “in the neighborhoods and with the neighborhoods.” The activities will be structured in the 10 districts to “achieve this idea of having a great affordable sporting event,” Collboni stated, in addition to promoting the bicycle as a “means of transport.”
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The Cathedral Square and Margarida Xirgu Square will host a total of 10 concerts, featuring Sexenni, 31Fam, DJ Trapella, and Doctor Prats, who composed the official song for the tour start: Energia. There will also be circus, dance, and theater for the family audience in these spaces, as well as at Port Olímpic and Tibidabo. Le Tour on Tour is one of the major highlights: a float that will travel all over Barcelona created by Sergi Ots, inspired by the “cycling universe,” explained Ruth Gumbau, presenter of the event. To deepen this idea of decentralizing activities, the city council has prepared Barcelona en ruta, with 18 actions distributed across all districts.
“There is the will for the Tour to be experienced through the commercial fabric,” Gumbau commented. In total, 14 commercial axes, 40 markets, and six shopping centers will participate in some way during the festivities. “Barcelona is a city open to the world,” said Javier Cottet, from BCN Oberta. The commercial axes and shopping centers will be spaces for theaters, cycling exhibitions, and classes open to everyone. “The 42 markets of Barcelona are already decorated with the colors of the Tour,” confirmed Francesc Leyva, from FEMM Barcelona (Federació de Mercats Municipals de Barcelona), who also revealed that there will be a gastronomic initiative of which we only know “that you will be able to dip bread.” This is not the only secret they have not yet wanted to explain. Collboni left in suspense the presence of a “very well-known and cycling enthusiast” town crier, but it will not be revealed until later.
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The Festa Major will also feature an official tortilla, a cake, and a Tour bread, made by Enric Badia, master baker. “We have the best bakery together with the French,” added Jaume Bertran, president of the Bakers’ Guild of Barcelona.
In addition to all these activities, there will be yellow lighting — the official color of the Tour — on emblematic buildings and the installation of giant cycling maillots throughout the city. The poster for this festival, created by Albert Tercero and SMLXL, a design company, was also presented. The team presentation will take place on July 2 at the modernist San Pau complex, and until July 5, the Fan Park can be visited. On the 4th, the Tour de France team time trial will take place through the streets of Barcelona, and the following morning, the arrival of the second stage.
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