In Spain, starting with the heat in Extremadura, the stages in Badajoz and Mérida were well received locally.
Then came crossing small towns in an extreme heat wave, traveling through wonderful landscapes, with a small trap for the wheels: the thistles.
As they head towards Madrid, more people join in, thanks to a lot of local support.
The capital, Madrid, remains a hostile territory for cyclists, but many people want to change this situation.
The stages continued through inland Spain, which is less hot, and the new branch begun in the north. A few brave souls continued on to Zaragoza...
The northern route has an advantage: there's more local involvement with cycling and it's not as hot. On July 15, 2026, the Bilbao contingent set out from City Hall, which reaffirmed its commitment to and support for cycling as a means of mitigating the effects of climate change - just as did the capital cities we passed through - Vitoria/Gasteiz, Pamplona/Iruña, San Sebastián/Donosti - and the municipalities of Andoain and Errenteria. We received a warm welcome in all of these places, and the local press covered our mission.
BILBAO SE ADHIERE A LA COP31 BIKE RIDE PARA IMPULSAR LA MOVILIDAD ACTIVA FRENTE AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO
Meanwhile the inland stage left Castile and Aragon and traveled through Catalonia,with a few additional commitments signed. Passing through small towns, it arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday the 29th of July.
Finally, after crossing the eastern and western part of the pyrenean mountains, we reached France where the journey continued. We had a total of 250 cyclists in Spain, received 15 letters of commitment, and cycled 2033 kilometers, all this for the cause of better cycling policies to help protect the climate !
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