An Epic Start to the Tour de France: Škoda Got Barcelona Moving

This year’s Tour de France kicked off in Barcelona, and Škoda Auto-as the traditional main partner of the world’s most famous cycling race-really got the Catalan metropolis moving ahead of the event. The occasion was attended by personalities from the world of cycling and beyond.

7. 7. 2026 Lifestyle

Every year, the Tour de France selects one of several attractive European locations for its opening ceremony and official start, known as the Grand Départ. It does not necessarily have to be in France; since 2020, the Tour has started three times in its home country and four times outside of it: in Denmark, Italy, and twice in Spain.

This year, Barcelona was chosen as the host city, and of course Škoda couldn’t miss out—the automaker has been the official main partner and vehicle supplier for the Tour de France since 2004. It brought fun, energy, and rhythm to the Catalan capital.

A Zone in the Heart of Barcelona

Right in the center of Barcelona, stylishly set up in the park next to the city’s Arc de Triomf (the one less famous than the one in Paris where the Tour traditionally ends), the Fan Park was established for four days—a lively hub of the Tour where joy, curiosity, and childlike enthusiasm mingled.

Under the supervision of a coach, young cyclists took their first rides here, adults soaked up the atmosphere, and everyone together discovered the world of the Tour de France and watched the first stage live. Škoda offered activities on-site related to its “modeling clay” campaign, “Ooooh that’s Epiq,” adding color and energy to the Fan Park.

Škoda and the Tour de France

This year’s 113th edition of the Tour de France will take place from July 4 to 26. A total of 184 riders from 23 teams will tackle 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,321 km, with even greater elevation gain than last year: 54,450 m.

Škoda Auto is serving as the main partner of the Tour de France for the 23rd time. It will provide the organizers with a fleet of up to 225 electrified vehicles, consisting of Enyaq electric cars and Superb iV plug-in hybrids. The role of the race director’s “red car” is filled by the new flagship electric car, the Peaq. Škoda is also showcasing another new electric model, the Epiq, during the Tour. Chris Froome, a four-time Tour winner, is serving as Škoda’s cycling ambassador. The trophies for the overall winner, the leaders of the points and mountains classifications, and the best young rider were designed by the Škoda Design department.

Party on a Bike

On the morning of Friday, July 3, a spectacular party kicked off on the Barcelona waterfront, led by DJ Dom Whiting. Dom himself is an avid cyclist and a specialist in street bike parties. His “Drum & Bass On The Bike” performances are legendary.

Riding his specially modified bicycle equipped with a DJ booth, he got not only the participants of the lively bike parade but also passersby dancing. The parade started in the northeastern part of Barcelona and wound its way along the beach through the vibrant Poblenou neighborhood, passed by the Olympic Port and Barceloneta Beach, and after passing the cable car station that runs from the port to the top of Montjuïc, arrived at the marina near the famous W Hotel.

Ride with Celebrities

The nearly three-hour ride was the shorter of the two cycling routes that Škoda organized for fans as part of the Grand Départ. In the evening, 150 cycling enthusiasts set out on a 60-kilometer ride.

Joining them in the peloton was Škoda’s new cycling ambassador and four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome. He was joined by other top cyclists, such as Alberto Contador, Pedro Delgado, Zdeněk Štybar, Jiří Ježek, and Pedro Horillo, as well as personalities such as rally driver and 2026 Dakar Rally winner in the truck category Vaidotas Žala, motorcycle racer Maverick Viñales, influencers Heidi Messner and Imogen Cotter, expedition cyclist Michal Kamermeier (aka Majk na cestách), and DJ Dom Whiting.