Tough job, crazy fans: Fireworks in the Basque Country awaits the tour

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The Basque Country has had to compete for the Tour de France for a long time. Now the cycling-crazy region can finally once again play host to the starting stages of the world’s biggest tour. “The governments there have been writing to us every year since 1992 and said they were expecting us,” says tour director Christian Prudhomme (62) in advance.

After San Sebastian in 1992, Bilbao is the starting point of the tour on Saturday, the second and third stages also take place in the Basque Country before heading to France. The 110th edition of the Tour de France will start abroad for the 25th time.

Cozy curling up? Only at the team presentation

The Grand Départ in Copenhagen a year ago raised the bar with enthusiastic audiences. If there is one host region that can compete, it is the Basque Country.

At the team presentation on Thursday evening in Bilbao, it may be the weather that limits the euphoria. It’s wet and gray as the 22 teams take the stage in front of the assembled fans.

At the latest on Saturday at 12.55 p.m., even the weather can no longer spoil the mood. The Basques are crazy about cycling, the route too spectacular.

Fiery and knowledgeable crowd

Someone who knows exactly is Juan Manuel Garate (47). He is Basque and Athletic Director of Team EF Education-Easypost. Last year, during the Tour of Spain, he explained how attached the Basques are to cycling: “The fans here don’t just go to a race to run next to the riders or take pictures. You know cycling. Every village here has his own cycling club. There are fans everywhere.”

The route adds extra spice: the start in and around Bilbao is almost all up and down and is almost never flat. 3300 altimeters in the 1st stage? “Unprecedented,” says tour director Prudhomme at “ProCycling” about the difficult start.

“Oops, oops!”

“When the professionals come, thousands head into the mountains to cheer on the drivers and wave their red, white and green flags,” Garate explains the Basque euphoria.

Only two professionals from Switzerland will start the tour this year, Stefan Küng (29) and Silvan Dillier (32). The Basque Country has more riders, led by Ion Izagirre (34), Mikel Landa (33) and Alex Aranburu (27).

These three especially fervently shout “Aupa!” from the side of the road. to be yelled at. The cheering call means something like “forward” in Basque – or “allez”. But from the third stage, which ends in France, French is only spoken on the side of the road.

Source : Blick