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The Tour Girona-Barcelona FIESTA!

The local Gironins are a fairly dour lot but the Tour de France brought out the crowds, waving, cheering and generally enjoying the festive spirit and the commercial circus of one of the greatest races on earth.

Cycling has put Girona on the map for a very important market niche, pro and keen enthusiast cyclists from all over the world have come here to enjoy the variety of terrain, moderate climate and relaxed atmosphere between the Mediterranean and Pyrenees.

This phenomenon is almost entirely due to one person, Lance Armstrong, who based himself and his then team, US Postal, here in Girona for some 5 years. We now have two professional teams, Columbia and Garmin, calling Girona home for a part of the year with all their riders and support staff adding an international flavour and economic boost to the area.

Personally I would erect a monument to Lance in the main Plaça Catalunya but the next best thing is to host the Tour and let's hope it re-enforces the position Girona has in the hearts and minds of many cyclists, past, present and future.

Click here to download:

The_Tour_Girona-Barcelona_FIES.zip (4982 KB)

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Filed under // Barcelona Columbia cycling Garmin Girona Lance Armstrong Le Tour Placa Catalunya TDF The Tour Tour de France

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Rambla of Girona

The Rambla, or Rambla de la Libertat to be more precise, is the commercial and social centre of Girona from where all activities tend to start or finish. Walking from the Plaça de Catalunya past the Pont de Pedra bridge to the main Tourist Information Office along a wide pedestrianised avenue, this is the Rambla. Whether shopping for the latest in fashion or just wanting a coffee and watching people go about their business, it is the best place to get a feel for life in Girona. There are plenty of bars and restaurants along here with terraces full of tables spread outdoors all year round for both locals and visitors to enjoy. The "paseo" tends to be a bit more purposeful than in other parts of Spain but is equally important on weekend afternoons for families meeting at their favourite cafe to catch up on the weeks gossip or read the paper. Only a few paces from the Adjuntament (Town Hall) everyone passes along the Rambla at some stage.