It’s time to say bonjour, or rather hola, to the second men’s Grand Tour of the year. That's right, the 113th edition of the Tour de France does not begin in France itself, but in Catalonia or Spain, specifically Barcelona.
It is the 27th time the French race has started abroad, and the fourth time in five years, after Copenhagen in 2022, Bilbao in 2023, and Florence in 2024. It's the third time the Tour has started in Spain, although it has crossed France's southern border more often.