July 2020. The last WorldTour race had taken place five months earlier. The Paris-Nice marked the start of a competition hiatus that would last almost half a year. The coronavirus disrupted everything. Even cycling.
At the end of that month of July, all eyes were on Burgos. The Spanish city, in the heart of Castilla y León’s region, would host the first professional cycling race since COVID-19 had crept into each and every aspect of our daily lives. And Burgos came through.
Participation was historic and the city of Burgos became a true example in terms of both security and showmanship – one that would inspire all subsequent competitions.
In 2021, coinciding with the 8th centenary of the Burgos Cathedral, the city will once again be the cycling capital of the world for a few weeks. This August, the locality’s most emblematic monument will watch the pelotons of La Vuelta and of la Vuelta a Burgos, two of the country’s most important competitions, ride past. The municipality will use this opportunity to reinforce its links to cycling through an extensive program consisting of meetings and networking, seminars and cyclosportive events.
Burgos will be the starting point for the 'Vuelta of the Cathedrals', a celebration of its own temple’s 800-year history. At the end of the journey will be the emblematic Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, which will mark the conclusion of the race, commemorating the Jacobean Year.
In just over a year, Burgos has become, without a doubt and in its own right, a global cycling epicentre.
