Tour de France organsisers ASO have stated that Barcelona has mounted a bid to host the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France, and have also confirmed that Scotland is among other places also negotiating to host the start of the race, without specifying which year. Reports earlier this year suggested that EventScotland would be bidding to host the beginning of the 2017 race.
In a communication issued yesterday, organisers confirmed that the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, had officially presented the city’s bid for the 2014 race, and added that the fact the city had hosted the 1992 Olympic Games and the start of the 2005 Dakar Rally, also owned by ASO.
“All this makes the city a strong candidate,” said ASO, “but it will be facing competition from many foreign communities which have shown interest in organising the Grand Départ, including Scotland, the city of Florence and the Liguria region (Italy), the city of Salzburg and Tyrol (Austria), Utrecht (Netherlands) and Kraków (Poland).”
Barcelona has hosted the Tour de France three times, but never the Grand Départ, and indeed it was a Scot who took the race by the scruff of the neck the last time the Tour de France visited the Catalan capital.
On Stage 5 of the 2009 race, David Millar, who lives up the coast in Girona, put in a stunning solo breakaway in filthy weather that saw him ride ahead of the peloton through the wide streets of Barcelona, packed with fans, only to be caught on the slopes of Montjuic tantalisingly close to the finish, Thor Hushovd taking the win.
This July’s race gets under way on French soil in the Vendée, while next year sees a foreign Grand Départ, hosted by the Belgian city of Liège. The 2013 race, which will be the 100th edition, seems almost certain to begin in Corsica.
"Causing serious injury by dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm with intent" That's an odd way of describing attempted murder
Campagnolo "hub cap" tools for Record-style hubs should be on the list. They're expensive and not something you need very often, but the...
Really sad for all the staff who have lost their jobs, especially if the above is true and minimum legal notice periods were not met etc. Like the...
You can't have fresh water because I want to drive my car:...
Isn't it the end user that should be choosing? The developer is providing what is requested (presumably based on feedback, marketing dept and so on...
These things happen so often yet every single one of them still produces a sickening feeling when I read about it....
Winter sucking in air through the mouth, soon will breathe in the first bug, then trying to get enough air through the nose until winter comes...
Since pedestrians don't yet have to wear number plates perhaps I need to get some signs made up with his face on them and zip tie them to the lamp...
Yes. They don't change from year to year.
Great to read about someone who knows their own mind. Well done Stu!