Preparations are well underway in ten municipalities across the Tarragonès and Baix Penedès regions of Catalonia for the Tour de France, which will pass through on 5 July. Noemí Llauradó, President of the Diputació de Tarragona, hosted mayors and councillors from the involved towns on Thursday at the institution's Baix Penedès headquarters.
The meeting focused on logistical and organisational aspects to ensure the event's success and maximise its international exposure. Discussions also covered local events designed to extend the sporting and recreational spirit associated with the Tour de France. Llauradó stated, "We have been working for a long time, hand-in-hand with the municipalities, to respond to mobility and logistical challenges, to make it easier to enjoy and participate in the Tour to the fullest."
Accompanying Llauradó were Enric Adell, Second Vice-President of the Diputació and President of its Tourism Board, Marta Ventura, Fourth Vice-President, and Deputy Joan Sans. Mayors Rubén Viñuales of Tarragona, who is also First Vice-President of the Diputació, and Jordi Molinera of Altafulla, also a Diputació deputy, attended.
Supporting Local Preparations
The Diputació is supporting the municipalities by helping prepare streets and roads. They are also using the event for tourism promotion, linking it with cycle tourism offers on the Costa Daurada and producing graphic, communication, and dissemination materials. Technical meetings are held regularly with all transit municipalities to achieve these goals.
One initiative involved producing large-format banners for all municipalities to display the Tour de France image. The official Tour trophy, the Trophy Tour, has also been coordinated to visit various towns. Residents of Torredembarra saw the trophy from 4 to 8 May, and Cunit residents on 9 and 10 May. It will be exhibited in El Vendrell from 18 to 23 May and in Roda de Berà from 16 to 18 June.
The Tour's Catalan Stages
The Tour de France will be in Catalonia from 4 to 6 July, with its Grand Départ starting in Barcelona on 4 July. On 5 July, cyclists will begin in Tarragona, travelling through nine other municipalities in the region before finishing the second stage in Barcelona. The following day, the race will start in Granollers and proceed into France for subsequent stages.
