Whether the start of the Tour is productive depends

Whether the start of the Tour is productive depends on what is done in the immediate future

It didn’t take a genius to know that, on paper, the departure of the Tour from Bilbao and the stages in Euskadi were going to be a great existence.

I believe that few events were born with the mobilization capacity of the Tour de France, neither cyclists nor any other sport.

It drags masses to the gutters, making the day something memorable, with the desire to repeat and return the following year, that added to the heritage value that the French have on it.

In difficult times for the republic it is a stronghold of “Grandeur”.

There are already people asking about the success of bringing the event to Bilbao and paying what has been paid to have it in the Basque Country.

A question that every good citizen should ask ourselves is a necessary scrutiny of that multitude of politicians who love the photo and the effect, above all else, especially if there is an electoral call in less than three weeks.

It is obvious that the Tour and departure were scheduled long before 23J, but the play has gone round.

It is not by chance that he chose the photo that illustrates this piece, because in the end it is the photo that was pursued, a poster: putting the Basque Country on the map, which is still the objective of all the places that pay a part for the Tour or any other cycling race.

It was intended, impact, visibility, that the people of the world knew that here, in addition to the love of cycling, there are many things to do, food to taste and landscapes to get lost in.

Really, any appreciation that we make from cycling, that if the tribute to the champions, that if the investment in the base, that if the children will be infected by the environment and want to be a cyclist, all that comes after and after the investment.

The investment has wanted to make up with the general elections just around the corner. In principle, 18 million, plus everything that has been spent on infrastructure, exceeds €20 million. Not a penny to base cycling.

— ll/I/II [ ] l_ (@rotapunctatis) July 3, 2023

Has it been worth the investment?

We can’t judge yet.

Surely if we ask ASO and the Basque Government auditors, the expense will have been a bargain.

They will talk about exposure, minutes of television, impacts, people who came this weekend to Bilbao or any point along the way, apart from the locals.

That’s all good, but…

The success of the start of the Tour from Euskadi will be measured over timewith the ability to capitalize on the hype that has been generated, with the ability to sell the product and say that here there is not only passion and cycling culture, there are roads, ports, enclaves, hotels, businesses and other places that cyclists are looking for .

And in that, Euskadi has a lot to do.

This privileged land for bicycles is an orchard that must be watered and made to grow.

If there is sustained investment, if individuals are inventive, if a network is created, the Tour de France will have been a great start for this story, otherwise it will remain a memorable weekend for many people.

It is not worth it, by the way, the weather is bad, the rain and stuff, in Flanders it is worse and colder and they have managed to capitalize on that cycling culture.

Euskadi has it about to cook.

Image: ASO/Charly Lopez

2023-07-03 10:40:27
#start #Tour #productive #depends