bilbON Bizkaia Nº5 (primavera-spring 2023)

A spring with a finish line at the start of the tour

Since 1935, more than fifty stages of the Tour of Spain have passed through Bizkaia and started or arrived in Bilbao. Dozens of cycling races on asphalt or dirt roads pass through Biscay every year. Around this region, cycling is a religion. It is worshipped in a different way than in Holland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Australia or the United States. But homage is paid to it. Many people do it every day. Numberless, every weekend and on the bank holiday. That’s when you go out for a bike ride, rain or shine.

That explains the dozens of cycling clubs. And the immense number of members of the international peloton of hard-working professional road cyclists. The list of stage winners is endless. In the Vuelta, the Giro and in every place where a classic, a one-week competition or any other competition takes place, Biscayan men and women will be pedalling.

The Tour de France. The Grande Boucle. Just amazing. That’s where Vicente Blanco Echevarría, ‘El Cojo’ (The Cripple), a native of Bilbao, went in 1910 with severe amputations in his feet. He arrived in Paris by bicycle after pedalling 1,100 kilometres in a week. He set off the following day and completed the first stage. According to some sources, he was the first Spanish rider to take part in the Tour. According to others, he was the second. Today he would be a Paralympic champion.

After ‘El Cojo’ there were dozens more. Like the winner of two stages, David Etxebarria, the forerunners Federico Ezkerra or Josu Loroño, up to Fede Etxabe, Julián Gorospe, Javier Otxoa, Omar Fraile or Roberto Laiseka.

They all went to the Tour. This year, the Tour is coming to Bilbao and Biscay.

It will be born here. And its impact will be enormous. If only ‘El Cojo’ could see it.