Tarragona has presented this March 16 the pre-Tour de France 2026 program, an agenda of educational, cultural, and sports activities that will unfold over the coming months to involve citizens in the start of the second stage of the race, scheduled for Sunday, July 5. The initiative has as its motto "Tarragona, the Tour at home" and is promoted by the City Council, the Tarragona Provincial Council, and the Generalitat.
The calendar kicks off with an eye on the Grand Départ, set for July 4 in Barcelona, and seeks to extend the Tour atmosphere both in the Tarragona capital and in the municipalities of Camp de Tarragona and Baix Penedès through which the race will pass.
The countdown will begin on March 26 in the square of the Font
The first act of the program will be held on March 26, when there will be 100 days left until the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2026. The event will be in the Plaça de la Font in Tarragona and will take place simultaneously with the rest of the municipalities participating in the Tour.
That day a countdown will be activated on a screen located on the facade of Tarragona City Council. Screens with that marker will also be installed on the municipal facade and in the future operational headquarters of the Tarragona Provincial Council, located in the old Caixa Tarragona building.
The event will also include the illumination in yellow of several buildings and spaces of the city. It is planned that the facade of the Tarragona City Council, the monument of the Torre dels Vents, the Mercat Central and several properties of the Provincial Council such as the Palau de la Diputació, the future operational headquarters of Imperial Tarraco square and the headquarters of the institution in El Vendrell, located in the old Popular Library, will be lit.
Participation of the municipalities of the route
The Tarragona Provincial Council coordinates the participation of the municipalities along the route and will provide them with decorative elements for the days leading up to the event. This arrangement includes Cunit, Roda de Berà, Creixell, El Vendrell, Torredembarra, Altafulla, La Pobla de Montornès and La Riera de Gaià.
The forecast is that these localities will join the pre-race atmosphere as the countdown towards July 5th progresses.
Educational and cultural events from late March
On March 27 at 11:00 hours, Le Dictée du Tour will be celebrated in the Tarragona Amphitheater. More than 50 fifth and sixth grade primary students from educational centers in the city will participate in this activity.
Eight of the participating students will obtain an entry to access the Village, the official animation and promotion venue of the race, which will be located in the grandstand area of Parc Francolí.
Within the educational block, on April 29, students between 6 and 12 years old from several schools will present their works and interview former cyclist Francesc León. The activity is part of the Passaport Edunauta project promoted by the Municipal Institute of Education of Tarragona.
On April 18, Dixie & bicycle has been scheduled, a concert in movement starring the Big Bike Orchestra. The public will be able to follow it moving by bicycle or in another alternative vehicle.
Between May 18 and June 28, an exhibition on historic cycling jerseys can be visited at the Espai Turisme of the Old City Hall of Tarragona. The exhibition will bring together pieces from a collection of more than 2,000 items and will include the jersey of Muç Miquel, identified as the first cyclist who won the Volta a Catalunya twice, in 1924 and 1925.
Popular Bike Ride and tribute to cycling of the demarcation
The Popular Bike Ride will be held on May 31 and is recovered with the collaboration of the Tarragona City Council and the Tarragona Provincial Council. Participation will require prior registration.
The march will allow to cover the same circuit that the Tour cyclists will do on July 5 through the interior of the city, one of the central actions of the preliminary program.
Before, on May 20, homage will be paid to a dozen cyclists from the demarcation who have participated in some edition of the Tour de France. It will be an institutional event with athletes, clubs, family members and representatives from the world of cycling.
A drone show will close the program before the race
The close of the previous calendar will arrive on June 30 at Punta del Miracle, where a drone show with figures related to cycling will be held. This proposal is part of the International Fireworks Competition of Tarragona.
With this program, Tarragona wants to accompany during the coming months the arrival of the Tour de France 2026 until the departure of the second stage from the city.