The 2020 edition of La Vuelta a España was a race run under the format of tight restrictions amidst a surge of COVID cases within Spain at the time. The race organisers, Unipublic – owned by Tour de France organisers ASO - announced the COVID-19 Protocols, stating spectators would be barred from standing at the roadside of most of the major climbs featured in the race.
These protocols were set in place in an attempt to protect the riders and those working within the event, with the event against the odds making it through the 18 stages of competition despite the heightened case numbers around the region.
This year's edition of La Vuelta a España has seen a welcome uplift of those restrictions, transforming barren climbs into scenes of colour and passionate support. Unipublic is now encouraging cycling fans to line the barriers and roadside along those iconic climbs. Anti-COVID measures are still at the forefront of the race organisers’ minds, they are still enforcing strict safety protocols amongst the riders, staff, and cycling fans throughout the three weeks.
From empty streets to ones full of screaming fans excited to see the Vuelta in person, the shift was apparent right from the start. On Saturday 14 Aug, La Vuelta España officially commenced with the first rider rolling down the time trial ramp at 17:44 EST.
Despite the late Saturday afternoon start, the hosting city ‘Burgos’ had come alive with cycling fans scattered throughout the streets.
The race organisers experimented with new and dynamic ways to draw in more crowds and create a festival of cycling, similar to what we’ve seen with the Santos Tour Down Under and Brisbane Cycling Festival here in Australia. La Vuelta a España hosted the 10th edition of ‘Vuelta Junior Cofidis’, a project designed to promote children to get out and ride their bikes, and even spark a little taste for racing on two wheels.
Children from across Spain joined the fun and competed in various cycling events preceding the opening stage of the Grand Tour. It is a vast difference to what we are seeing in Australia, where our children are currently undertaking online learning, due to recent COVID outbreaks.
As part of the COVID-19 protocols to protect the riders, spectators were asked not to surround the start and finish areas, and instead spread out alongside the short and technical 7.1km course.
With the excitement of the children racing before, the city of Burgos was even more eager to watch the Grand Tour riders zip through the narrow streets, competing for the fastest time. One by one each rider made their way through the course with the streets beckoning with cheers for the riders to dig that little bit deeper.
The incredible atmosphere of the cycling community could be felt by each and every spectator both physically there and by those watching on the broadcast, and this is hopefully the first steps of normality in the cycling world.
In addition to the normal COVID-19 race protocols, Unipublic and teams have enlisted further protective measures to lower risks of transmissions from the general public into the known race bubble. These measures include placing barriers around the team buses and preparation areas to prevent spectators from walking up freely to the riders and potentially transmitting COVID.
Despite not being able to get autographs and selfies taken with the athletes, you can see the cycling fans have not wavered and are just happy to be welcomed back and be part of La Vuelta España.
Unipublic has announced that spectators will once again be barred from onlooking the ascent to Balcon de Alicante featured in Stage 7. Due to the dryness within that area, the risk of a fire is too high and the organisers have decided to close access to the iconic finishing line.
After the 2020 edition of La Vuelta España, where spectators were barred from most of the spectacular climbs, missing only one of the stage finishes, seems tolerable and justified. With more than a few mountain stages to come including the two monster climbing stages through the Picos de Europa mountains in Asturias, and the brutal Alto de Gamoniteiro finish the spectators have plenty of opportunities to see the action unfold.
Spain has been hit harder by the pandemic, and is in a very different current situation to Australia, but this year’s edition of La Vuelta a España has been a gentle reminder to Australians in lockdown that normality can be achieved. Seeing spectators back alongside the roads has been a long-awaited breath of fresh air for everyone.
