
As the rain fell on the crowd at the 2023 Tour de France team presentation on Thursday evening, one began to really appreciate how much this event matters to the people of Bilbao, the people of the Basque Country.
Anywhere else, people would have dispersed, gone home, sought cover. In front of the Guggenheim in Bilbao on Friday night, the crowds stayed, the fervour over the Tour built, and the final riders got their chance to say hello to the fans.