The city of Barcelona is preparing to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2026, an event generating anticipation but also concern among residents. In an interview with betevé's program bàsics, the president of the Poble Sec Residents' Association, Sergi Gàzquez, stated that the anticipated disruptions are not compensated by any tangible benefit for residents or the city.
Gàzquez declared: "There is no benefit for the neighborhood residents or the city. Does Barcelona need to keep appearing on all the world's television channels?". While acknowledging they are not against the event, he admitted that "it's difficult to find a balance" for daily life in the neighborhood.
According to the residents' president, it is highly probable that many residents of Poble Sec will decide to "disappear" from the neighborhood during the weekend of the competition. He pointed out that, being a "humble neighborhood" where people do not own second homes, many will "surely decide to flee" to avoid the difficulties.
Coexistence during the Tour's passage is expected to be "complicated," as the event coincides with a Sunday when shops are open. Gàzquez explained that many Barcelonians will have to go to work, creating a "conflict of interest" between those who want to enjoy the race and those who have to balance it with their work life. Furthermore, he noted that local businesses will struggle to participate and profit from it.
The association's president also highlighted that Montjuïc is becoming an "epicenter" of events, and that everything happening on the mountain "affects the surrounding areas," referencing events like concerts at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. He concluded that this concentration of major events "should be dispersed throughout the city."
