La Grande Boucle 2020, which will remain as "the September Tour", postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic is still remembered for its stunning epilogue.
In the time trial at the top of La Planche des Belles Filles, the day before the parade on the Champs-Elysées, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar had stripped Primoz Roglic in the yellow jersey.
The Tour does not let itself be lulled by memories.
He is moving forward.
Quickly.
A few days ago, in Brest, the elected officials celebrated the hundred days that separated them from the big departure in 2021 (June 26-July 18).
The fourth big departure from Brest (after 1952, 1974 and 2008), a record.
In 2022, the Tour de France will start from Copenhagen.
The northernmost starting point in the history of the Grande Boucle.
And after, the Danish capital, the Grande Boucle will head to Spain.
Theater of the great start of the 110th Tour de France, Bilbao.
The organizers and the Spanish authorities formalized it with pomp this Friday.
Spain hosted the big start of the Tour only once, in 1992, in San Sebastian.
At the heart of Miguel Indurain's years of reign.
The Spaniard won the time trial.
Before dominating the race, winning the second of his five Tours de France.
Bilbao, 25th departure abroad in the history of the Tour de France
And from the Basque Country was eager to review and receive the Tour.
For the story, the showcase, the passion.
Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour, sums up: “The three determining elements in choosing the big start of the Tour are the political will, to go where there is a strong will to welcome us.
The routes that can be made, with a terrain suitable for tracing exciting routes, the beauty of the landscapes, the sea and the coast as during the great departure from Brittany (next June) and Brest, we will very often see the sea And finally, popular enthusiasm.
The Basque Country is a land of cycling with the possibility of finding very interesting terrain for competition with very steep slopes, with the assurance of having absolutely magnificent landscapes with the coast and inland and with a will repeated since the great departure from San Sebastien in 1992. Since then, they have never stopped knocking on the door.
With Jean-Marie Leblanc, then with me.
I came across letters applying for the big start in 2000. In 2006, they were dreaming of a big start in 2013. ”
In 2023 (start of the 110th Tour on July 1), Bilbao will settle down as the 25th big departure of the foreign tour, the first dating from 1954 (Amsterdam).
The Tour of Italy has started 14 times from abroad (the last in 2018 from Jerusalem) and the Tour of Spain 3 times (including Nîmes in 2017).
Departures from abroad "allow the Tour de France and France to shine even more", sums up Christian Prudhomme.
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