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Gallery: Brilliant Basque beginnings to the 2023 Tour de France

The Basque are renowned for their love of cycling and that was on full display at the Grand Départ.

Matt de Neef
by Matt de Neef 04.07.2023 Photography by
Kristof Ramon and Jered & Ashley Gruber
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Of the last 10 editions of the Tour de France, more than half have started outside France itself. It’s become something of a tradition for the Tour – a Grand Départ beyond French borders, adding an international flavour to the race (the money probably helps, too).

This year the Grand Départ took the world’s best riders to the Basque Country in north-east Spain, a region famed for its obsessive cycling fans and its punchy climbs. As predicted, spectators turned out en masse and the courses delivered exciting and engaging racing to kick start this year’s Tour.

As we leave Euskal Herria behind, let’s take a look back at three wonderful days of racing, as captured by the Grubers – Ashley and Jered – and Kristof Ramon.

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