The Barcelona City Council Councillor for Sport, David Escudé, has travelled to Lille-North of France to attend the Grand Départ of the 2025 Tour de France, taking place from 3 to 5 July. His presence at the event is part of the preparations for Barcelona’s hosting of the official start of the 2026 Tour, a top level sporting event.

On Thursday 3 July at 6 p.m., Escudé will be attending the official team presentations and on Saturday 5 July at 1 p.m. he will participate in the official start of the race. During his stay, the councillor will visit the central spaces of the Grand Départ, including the International Press Centre, the Village and the Fan Park, and will hold working meetings with the Tour organisation to share experiences and build synergies with a view to holding the event in Barcelona next year.

With this institutional visit, Barcelona continues its preparations for the 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ, making it the first Catalan city to host this iconic competition. After holding the Grand Départ in Copenhagen (2022), Bilbao (2023) and Florence (2024), the start of the Tour this year returns to France, before making a stop in the city next year.

The councillor David Escudé highlighted that “hosting such a huge event as the Tour de France Grand Départ represents a challenge for Barcelona, not only because of the international attention it will receive but also because of the economic impact, the boost it gives to tourism, the sport and the city’s sustainable mobility”. He also added that, “2026 will see Barcelona positioned as a benchmark in international cycling, reaffirming its commitment to major sporting events as a tool to promote the city and social cohesion”.

With the 2026 Tour de France, Barcelona will become the world capital of cycling, offering a sporting spectacle of the highest level and consolidating its role as a leading city in organising major sporting events.