Barcelona dresses in yellow and welcomes the stars of the Tour

BarcelonaBarcelona is turning yellow. Thousands of yellow caps have welcomed the cyclists who will chase glory on two wheels starting this Saturday with the Tour de France, the emblematic race that, for the first time, starts from Barcelona. Today was the turn of the official presentation of the teams with a route where the cyclists rode along a yellow path that began at the modernist complex of Sant Pau and ended in front of the Sagrada Familia, on a stage where both riders and authorities had their say. If just a few days ago thousands of people approached the temple to see the Pope of Rome in an act of faith, today the atmosphere was different. More festive, with a crowd of cycling fans who wanted to see the best cyclists of the moment up close.

On stage, the 184 cyclists from the 23 participating teams in this edition of the Tour have paraded, eight cyclists per team, each with their own objective. Some are looking to finish and others to arrive in Paris wearing yellow, especially the big favorite, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, the most sought-after by fans. "There are many riders who can aspire to victory. It's true that the competition between Jonas Vingegaard and me has been spectacular and I hope it lasts for many years because I believe it enriches both of us. We push each other. We'll see where it takes us this year," said the Slovenian from the UAE team, who knows the route of the first stages as he has participated in the Volta a Catalunya in the past. "We are in the same hotel and they are roads that are familiar to me. It's something good for me, although I would prefer to be here on vacation," he joked.

The route was full of people enjoying the Tour's free yellow caps, trying to take photos of the Slovenian or his great rival, the Dane Tadej Pogacar, who a few months ago already won the Volta ciclista a Catalunya in the streets of Barcelona. The Dane faces the great challenge this year of trying to win the Tour and the Giro in the same year. "We realized that, after so many years, it wasn't that fun to do what we did every year and we tried to change to a preparation that has gone very well so far. I think I'm facing the Tour happier mentally," said the Visma cyclist, second in the last two editions. Vingegaard took advantage of the presentation to recall that he is the only cyclist in the peloton who has managed to beat Pogacar. "I still think Tadej is probably the best cyclist who has ever been in the peloton. Being able to beat him is something incredible for me and it gives me motivation to try to do it again, because I know I am one of those who can achieve it," he said.

It has been a festive day, with a lot of music and performances, among which that of Sílvia Pérez Cruz stood out, who in 2026 celebrates 30 years of career with a tour that will culminate precisely at the Olympia in Paris. Her voice kicked off the event along with a performance by the castellers de Barcelona, while some people were still hiding from a sun that had been falling as the runners paraded. The group Doctor Prats also played, authors of Energia, the official song of the Grand Départ 2026. There were displays of popular culture and a performance by the Castellers de Vilafranca which caused the cyclists to use their phones to make videos. "It's fantastic to see how Barcelona and Catalonia have opened their doors to us, this setting is hard to improve" said the Tour director, the Frenchman Christian Prudhomme just below the facade of the Nativity of the Sagrada Família. The runners had changed clothes at Sant Pau, all showing themselves fascinated by the architecture of the place. "I didn't know these buildings existed, I knew the Sagrada Familia, but this one is very beautiful" said the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz.

The presentation has generated great expectation in the Catalan capital, but it also involved some mobility alterations, especially in the streets near the event, which are closed to traffic. With regard to the two stages passing through Barcelona on Saturday and Sunday, the use of the metro is recommended, as it has been reinforced by 40% compared to what would be usual, and numerous bus lines are modifying their routes. Although the Sagrada Família station on L2 has been closed today, there have been no major mobility problems for those who arrived on foot, the majority, or for those who arrived by bicycle, a few. "This city has a long tradition on wheels; races were already held during the 19th century," defended the mayor Jaume Collboni, who also rode the presentation route cycling alongside former cyclists like Purito Rodríguez or Miguel Indurain. Great names from the past who have shared the spotlight with those who are to make history in the most Catalan Tour of all time.