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Tour de France to start in Barcelona in 2026

The Tour de France will start in Barcelona in 2026, the third time the race has started in Spain in over a century, organisers ASO announced on Tuesday.

Published: 18 June 2024 11:44 CEST
Tour de France to start in Barcelona in 2026
The 2026 Tour de France will kick off in Barcelona. Photo: Josep Lago/AFP

“Barcelona is a prestigious city and it is a city of sport,” Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme told AFP.

He said two complete stages would take place in Catalonia and the third stage would also begin there before crossing into France.

Cycling’s most famous race started in Saint Sebastian in 1992 and in Bilbao last year.

This year the Tour starts in the Italian city of Florence on June 29 before reverting to Lille next year.

This year’s Tour de France will end in Nice on July 21 in a change from its normal route because of the preparations for the Olympics in Paris.

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MADRID

Madrid to pay residents who buy an electric bicycle up to €600

Madrid City Council will pay half the price of residents who purchase an electric bicycle up to a limit of €600 as part of its plan to lower emissions in the Spanish capital. These are the requirements.

Published: 28 June 2024 11:39 CEST
Madrid to pay residents who buy an electric bicycle up to €600

In recent years, Madrid authorities have implemented measures aimed at addressing air pollution and traffic, the most important of all being the low-emission zones which prevent certain vehicles from entering the city centre. 

Now it’s betting on greener personal mobility options for its 3.4 million inhabitants, offering residents who buy an electric bike half the cost up to a limit of €600, as part of Madrid’s Cambia 360 programme. 

In fact, the measure is partly retroactive, meaning that those who bought an electric bike from October 3rd 2023 can also apply. 

E-bike prices vary greatly, but usually go from a minimum of €900 to €5,000.

Madrid City Hall has allocated €150,000 for the measure, so you should hurry if you intend to take advantage of the offer as funds are limited and the measure is only in place until September 30th. 

Only e-bikes equipped with an auxiliary electric motor with maximum continuous nominal power less than or equal to 250 watts can be subsidised. 

It’s advisable to check with the vendor that the e-bike you’re considering meets these and other conditions such as the fact that it can’t be propelled exclusively by the motor, has progressively decreasing power and that the motor stops before reaching 25 km/h.

The subsidy doesn’t apply to second-hand electric bicycles unfortunately and the e-bikes cannot be sold in the two years following their purchase. 

Both the buyer and the vendor can apply for the subsidies on this website. 

The subsidy does not cover taxes or any possible accessories.

To apply you must be over the age of 18 and registered as a resident in Madrid (padrón). 

As the summer sales have kicked off in Spain, this subsidy could mean big saves for those in the Spanish capital looking to buy an electric bike. 

The global electric bicycle industry has recovered from the severe shortages it faced during the Covid-19 pandemic and prices have dropped on average by 13 percent in 2024.

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