After 65 years of waiting, Berguedà will once again be the protagonist of the Cycle Tour in Catalonia, which will arrive in the region on March 23 with a stage that will leave Berga and end at the Santuari de Queralt, going through several towns and ports emblematic such as the Coll del Pradell. But this will not be the only appointment with two wheels, as a group of cycling enthusiasts has organized a program of events that will fill the whole of March and part of April with talks, exhibitions and competitions related to this sport . The name of the project is Primavera Ciclista al Berguedà.
A calendar full of proposals
One of the promoters of the initiative, Sergi Fernández, has explained that his goal is “for Berguedà to take advantage of the opportunity of the Tour to move forward”. Together with Oriol Rego, they have presented the list of activities that will take place during these weeks. Among the sporting events, the Gironella Bike (March 10), the Portal Attack Short Track (March 16) and the Popular Climb between Berga and Queralt (March 17) stand out, which will serve as a prelude to the stage of the return In addition, on April 7, the Casserrenca will be contested, a classic of Berguédà cycling. In terms of conferences, there will be three sessions on topics such as cycling and rural tourism (7 March), coffee, nutrition and cycling (14 March) and the state of women’s cycling (15 March) .
Culture and history, present
The Cycling Spring in Berguedà also wants to make known the culture and history of cycling in the region, through two exhibitions that can be seen in the center of Berga. The first is an open exhibition that takes up different spaces on Carrer Major, with photographs and objects that reflect the past and present of cycling in Berguedà. The exhibition has been curated by Pep Espelt, who has stated that “it is a bicycle exhibition, but 100% political”, as it also claims the landscape, the history and the town of Berguedà. The second exhibition is at the Berga Regional Museum and is dedicated to El Kelme, the Berga team, which had an outstanding career between 1993 and 2003 under the direction of Joan Mas. The presentation of Primavera Ciclista, led by Isaac Vilalta, also served to inaugurate this exhibition, which was attended by cyclists such as Jordi Riera and Àngel Morales, who recalled the importance of the Coll de Pradell, which be paved in 2004.
The big day, March 23
All these activities culminate on March 23, when Berguedà will host the sixth stage of the 103rd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. To make this day a party, the Primavera Ciclista organization has prepared a proposal to enjoy the day as a group and with a main objective: that the image of the day be the Queralt Strike. As explained by Fernández and Rego, the 23rd will start at Passeig de la Indústria, where the riders of the Volta will leave for Borredà, with a show of trucks, professionals and lots of color in the Valley. When the bikes are already on their way, the organization proposes a joint exit to the Font Negra, where there will be a giant screen to follow the stage, as well as an offer of food trucks. When the cyclists arrive at the Pradell, the procession will go up to the Vaga de Queralt, where there will be entertainment with DJs and the collaboration of the Castellers de Berga, to create a unique and very Berguedan atmosphere. “We want to do our Corba dels Hollandesos”, said Rego and Fernández. This proposal surprised and pleased the organization of the Tour, which also attended the presentation event through its general secretary, Víctor Mur, who acknowledged that “there is a great expectation for the stage of the Berguedà” and that “it was important to be in Berguedà, because more than 60 years without passing through here was an anomaly”.
A future cyclist
The local administrations have also shown their support and enthusiasm for the return of the Volta to the region, and have set themselves the challenge of consolidating the cycling tourism offer to take advantage of Berguedà’s potential in relation to this sport. “We have the challenge in the post-Volta”, admitted the president of the Regional Council, Ramon Caballé, who confirmed that walking in this direction has the consensus of all the councils. This is the case, of course, of Berga, where its mayor, Ivan Sànchez, has celebrated that “the Volta has shown that, in Berguedà, when we work together, we are unstoppable”. The presentation of the Primavera Ciclista in Berguedà ended with the deferred intervention of Antoni Karmany, the winner of the last stage of the Tour contested in Berga (went from Palafrugell to the capital of Berguedà) last year 1959. The ex-cyclist is 90 years old, but he remembers in detail the harshness of that stage, but he also has a good memory of it. With all this, Berga and Berguedà are celebrating their history, their ability and their passion for cycling and the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya this March.
