Àlex Sans (Barcelona, 1976) was clear that he wanted to be part of the cycling world. He first tried it as a cyclist, but when he saw that he “couldn't be professional,” he looked for another alternative. His coach when he was a junior and under-23 was also a masseur for Antonio Pineda's teams, which this year have celebrated 40 years as benchmarks for under-23 teams in Catalonia under the name Club Ciclista Camp Clar. Sans began to learn the trade with them. The leap into professional cycling came in 2000, when he joined the MemoryCard–Jack&Jones team as a masseur and at the same time also as a masseur for the Kelme team as a freelance. He combined races with both teams and at the end of the year, both teams offered him a contract. He chose the Danish team. “It appealed to me. It was more of an adventure,” Sans justifies to ARA in this first week of the Tour. And he continued with a project that later became CSC Proteam, with whom Àlex won the Tour in 2008 with Carlos Sastre. Consolidated in the peloton for decades, he now directs the Pinarello Q36.5 Procycling Team, one of the teams participating in the current Tour de France.

The Tour has said goodbye to Catalonia with the third and final stage between Granollers and Les Angles with apprehension due to the serious fire 60 km from the finish line in French territory and the fire in Les Gavarres that is not yet fully controlled. The fire in Northern Catalonia continues to burn with a new episode of extreme heat with temperatures of up to 40 degrees days after a historic heatwave. The serious situation has caused the Tour's advertising caravan not to hand out gifts to the public and restrictions for attendees in French territory. Despite the heatwave, the great favorite, Tadej Pogacar, has won and is already wearing yellow. The Slovenian is getting down to business.

The Tour de France advertising caravan is a carousel of 180 vehicles with commercial brands of all types and colors that travel the entire 21 stages of the race at 30 km/h, throwing products and gifts to the public waiting for the cyclists' arrival. All the vehicles together occupy 12 km of route and a person in a fixed spot watches the spectacle for 40 consecutive minutes. The caravan moves 700 people who, on top of all sorts of brightly decorated vehicles, warm up the public who wish to be part of it. Barcelona will experience, starting Saturday, the first passage of the caravan 90 minutes before the start of the team time trial, which is 19.6 km, starting at Parc del Fòrum and ending at Montjuïc. First opportunity for the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, four-time winner of the Tour, to wear the yellow leader's jersey. To see the cyclists in action on the city streets, you need to consider the road closures and use the metro to reach the section you want to see. There will also be different giant screens along the route. At the Fan Park, on Passeig Lluís Companys, and also in Montjuïc, between the Olympic Stadium and the Gardens of Ramon Margalef López.

We explain everything you need to know to enjoy the Tour de France that will cross Catalonia: from mobility impacts to activities organized by the cycling race.

“When something gets stuck in my head, it doesn't leave, and now the bike has gotten stuck in it”, explains Paula Blasi, one of the Catalan athletes of the moment. This weekend she achieved the greatest success of her career, winning the 12th edition of the Amstel Gold Race, held between Maastricht and Valkenburg, with a route of 158.1 kilometers. A prestigious race where she beat the best female cyclists in the world with a great attack and in which she was not initially supposed to participate, but was called up by her team, UAE, at the last minute because other more experienced cyclists were missing. "I will need a few weeks or months to realize it. It's my first time in the Ardennes and I've had problems with positioning, I can't believe what has just happened to me", she explained euphorically.

A group of cypresses, the tree that symbolizes welcome and hospitality, surround the kiosk that functions as a bar in the Parc dels Jardins de les Pedreres in Girona. Josep Maria Esteban, who has worked there for ten years in a totally altruistic manner, mentions this symbolism of the cypresses because he believes that welcome is one of the essential characteristics of this urban park, which in past years the residents of the Pedreres-Fora Muralla neighborhood avoided due to its state of abandonment and which today they have made their own as a meeting place, for birthday celebrations, for snacks, for an outdoor classroom to practice Zumba or yoga, to walk pets there, and to celebrate spoken-word performances, among many other activities.  

Cycling fans know that this season is historic. At 27 years old, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar seemed poised to achieve a never-before-seen feat. Pogacar, full of ambition, had decided to rewrite the history of the sport in general by achieving one of those milestones that are remembered for decades. Today he sought to be the fourth cyclist of all time to win the five monuments, the five historic one-day races. But Pogacar wasn't content with a success like this. If he triumphed in Paris-Roubaix, he seriously aspired to win all five races in the same season. In 100 years, only three men have won these five races, and he wanted to do it in the same year.

The GI-531 road is one of the most congested in the Girona region. It crosses the Llémena Valley, a river basin dotted with small villages surrounded by nature, from Sant Gregori – west of Girona – to Les Planes d'Hostoles in La Garrotxa. The road is narrow, with significant changes in gradient, a single lane in each direction, very sharp curves, and a virtually nonexistent shoulder. Private vehicles share this route with other traffic. groups of cyclists who do sportHeavy goods vehicles from companies working in the area and school buses also use this road.

In a global context marked by the erosion of rights, a means of transport like the bicycle has become, more than ever, an ideological symbol. Consequently, political polarization directly impacts decisions regarding sustainable mobility. The 2023 municipal elections marked a turning point in many cities: the arrival of new governments has influenced the management of bike lanes, often citing arguments of safety or freedom to move around by car. We have seen this in Castelldefels, Palma, Elche, Valladolid, and Logroño, and Lisbon has drawn attention for impounding bicycles parked in public spaces. At the same time, in Barcelona, ​​the socialist government of Jaume Collboni has maintained the infrastructure but reduced the push for new traffic-calming measures. In Girona, however, the dynamic is different. It has become established in the last decade as the cycling capital of southern Europe, and businesses linked to the sector have multiplied almost fivefold. If at the beginning of 2014 there were only eight cycling shops In the city, there are currently 41. The bicycle has also become an economic and tourist engine: if in Barcelonaexpanded He lives in a rented apartment costing over 2,000 euros and drinks specialty coffees costing 5 euros; in Girona he is accompanied by a high-end road or gravel bike and equipment worth over 4,000 euros.

The Girona City Council wants to limit the granting of licenses for new businesses related to cycling. Cycle tourism is thriving. an extraordinary boom in the city, especially in the Barri Vell, where in recent years, every time an iconic business closes, a new one opens a new store linked to high-end cyclingDesigned to attract primarily foreign customers.

The support of the Barcelona Provincial Council The inclusion of cycling in major events, such as the Volta a Catalunya, the 2025 Vuelta a España Femenina, and the 2026 Tour de France, demonstrates the Corporation's commitment to promoting cycling in the province. The benefits of cycling are numerous, both in terms of sport and society. On the one hand, it is an accessible and healthy sport that contributes to improving the health and quality of life of the population and helps prevent cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, using a bicycle as a means of daily transport improves sustainable mobility and reduces the environmental impact of transportation. Furthermore, cycling is an excellent excuse for socializing, participating in, and riding with the many cycling clubs in the municipalities of Barcelona. Therefore, the Provincial Council's Cycling Promotion Plan aims to leave a sporting legacy in the province that will allow for the continued promotion of road cycling, both on open roads and on the municipal cycling circuits within the region.

The cycling team formerly known as Israel – Premier Tech has changed hands. In a turn of events, businessman Sylvan Adams is leaving the scene, selling the team's structure to a business group led by a well-known figure: Andrés Iniesta. The former Barcelona player is entering the world of cycling through his company NSN, which will lend its name to a team that is guaranteed participation in the next three editions of the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España. Last week, the details of this operation were finalized, and it has been very positively received within the Union Cycliste Professional (UCP), as the Israel – Premier Tech team had become problematic. Pending a financial audit, a necessary requirement, the new project is already operational and will present its corporate image in the coming days.

On August 27th, five pro-Palestinian activists from Alt Empordà blocked the Israeli team participating in the Vuelta a España. It happened during a team time trial in Figueres and was the first in a series of protests against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team in the race, actions that continued at every stage until the final day. "When we found out the Vuelta was coming, we decided to take some completely peaceful action, and luckily in Figueres it was a team time trial. That made it very easy for us to block only the Zionist team, the Israeli team. We didn't want to cause any problems for the cyclists, Oliver, or anyone else," explains the young activist, who has been involved in various causes for many years. The action, however, became the spark for a widespread protest throughout the country. It ended up paralyzing the entry of the Vuelta into MadridBut in practical terms, the Figueres blockade is currently the only boycott against the Israeli team's participation that the Vuelta a España organizers have reported. It resulted in one arrest: that of Esteve Robleda i Sastre, an educational psychologist. In a city with few demonstrations, dozens of people gathered in front of the Mossos d'Esquadra police station in the capital of the Alt Empordà region to demand his release. On Saturday, a fundraising event for Palestine was held in Figueres, both in case the complaint ends up in court and to support the Palestinian people. It was also an opportunity to learn firsthand how the protest against the Israel Premier Tech team's participation in the cycling competition was organized.

The 2026 Tour de France has unveiled its route in a special edition in Paris, as Catalonia will host the first three stages. Barcelona has never before hosted the start of the prestigious French race, which for 2026 is opting for a fast route that will include two ascents of Alpe d'Huez. The 2026 Tour will go "from the Sagrada Familia to the Eiffel Tower," as race director Christian Prudhomme said, referring to the fact that the team presentation ceremony will take place at the foot of the temple designed by Antoni Gaudí.

The most politicized Vuelta a España of all time ended prematurely. With 57 km to go, riders climbed into their team vehicles as pro-Palestinian protesters managed to block the road. The final stage, finishing in Madrid, was expected to be complicated by a demonstration against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, and that's exactly what happened. The war in Gaza, currently at the center of the political agenda, also took center stage in this race due to the presence of this team owned by a businessman close to the Netanyahu government. As the race progressed and more news of civilian deaths in Gaza arrived, tensions grew at the Vuelta. In the end, the race was unable to complete its route, as the organizers feared.

Will the Vuelta a España reach its destination? A growing number of voices are expressing doubts about the Spanish race's ability to meet its schedule, with the final finish in Madrid this coming Sunday, due to the growing number of pro-Palestinian protesters organized against the presence of the Israel Premier-Tech team. This Thursday's stage, a 27.2 km individual time trial in Valladolid, was cut to a 12-kilometer route "with the aim of providing greater protection for development," according to the organizers. Being a time trial, the goal was to protect the Israeli team's riders with a shorter route featuring barriers. Two people were arrested during a day of confrontation between Podemos, which considers the presence of the Israeli team a disgrace, and the PP, which defends it. The stage was won by Italian Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), seven seconds faster than Australian Jay Vine (UAE) and Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE). Almeida has shaved a few seconds off general classification leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma), who now has a 40-second lead over the Portuguese rider.

The Israel Premier Tech team continues to be one of the protagonists of this edition of the Vuelta a Espana. The team, owned by a tycoon who supports the Netanyahu government, sees protests organized on roadsides against its presence at every stage. Today, the team announced that it is removing the country's name from the jersey at the Vuelta a Espana to "prioritize the safety" of its "cyclists and the entire peloton, given the danger of some protests at the Vuelta," they explained. "Israel Premier Tech has provided the cyclists with a uniform bearing the team's monogram for the remainder of the race," a uniform with a logo that does not include the name of Israel. The Israeli team, however, emphasizes that "the team name remains Israel Premier Tech," although it explains: "The monogrammed uniform now aligns with the branding decisions we have previously adopted for our vehicles and casual wear," from which it has also removed the name of Israel.

It won't be easy getting on the UAE team bus these days at the Vuelta a Espana. The fragile relationship between the team's stars exploded in the middle of the competition, prompting team management to publicly punish Spaniard Juan Ayuso. The young rider from Alicante, currently the biggest star of Spanish cycling, has counterattacked, stating that he lives in "a dictatorship" where "they want to damage" his "image." The final days of competition could be complicated within the Emirates-based team.

"It was obvious something was going to happen," says a Vuelta a España worker nervously. They've been told not to talk about the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, owned by a personal friend of the Israeli president. The race was supposed to go ahead as if nothing had happened, but every day they're met with hundreds of protesters waiting for them. For weeks, the organizers had been worried about the announcements of demonstrations against the team's presence. And on Wednesday, during the team time trial on the roads of the Alt Empordà, it happened: security forces were unable to prevent a group of protesters from blocking the road just as the Israel Premier Tech team was about to pass, to protest the presence of a team with ties to the Israeli government right in the middle of the military campaign in Gaza.

On April 29, 1935, a group of brave riders began pedaling through the center of Madrid, leaving from Atocha station. They were participants in the first edition of the Vuelta a España, a competition that this year celebrates its 80th edition in 90 years, as it was not always possible to take place. That first edition featured 50 cyclists who faced a 10-stage route of more than 250 km each. When the Vuelta returned to Madrid on May 15, only 29 cyclists arrived. The rest had folded, exhausted by a tough route on dirt roads, with slopes that broke their legs and caused damage to their iron bicycles. The winner was Belgian Gustaaf Deloor, who beat Catalan Mariano Cañardo, second in the general classification. Marianu He suffered a lot, as he quickly lost teammates and suffered falls.