Puerto Banús start for next year’s Tour of Spain

Marbella mayor Ángeles Muñoz with Elias Bendodo, Javier Guillén & Luis Ángel Maté at the ‘Vuelta Ciclista a España’ presentation

It’s usually muscle cars, superyachts, A-Listers and soap stars that get all the attention in Southern Spain’s glitziest and most glamorous of hot spots. But on 22 August 2015, the Lamborghinis and Sunseekers will be taking a back seat as the 80th edition of the 3-week Vuelta Ciclista a España grand tour clicks into gear in Puerto Banús…

This major coup for Marbella in particular and the Costa del Sol in general, was recently presented to the media at a reception held at the resort’s town hall, attended by the managing director of the Vuelta Ciclista a España 2015, Javier Guillén; president of the Diputación de Málaga, Elias Bendodo, Marbella mayor, Ángeles Muñoz; and Marbella-born professional cyclist Luis Ángel Maté.

Branded as the ‘Costa del Sol-Madrid’ race, four of the Tour’s stages will take place in Málaga province, with the exact route due to be announced by the organisers in Torremolinos on 10 January.

The day before the Tour gets underway a gala will be hosted by Televisión Española, who will be providing a 2-hour daily live TV feed to 178 different countries throughout the 3-week event.

According to Elias Bendodo, the Tour – which including the cycle teams, security, press and organisers will involve around 2,500 people – is estimated to generate some €300,000 each day for towns where each stage begins. With members of the group starting to arrive on 17 August, and everyone in town by the 20th, in Marbella’s case that’ll add up to a tidy sum. And of course you only have to look at the massive impact that the Tour de France had on the local economy in Yorkshire earlier this year to realise the enormous potential for the Costa del Sol.

It won’t be the first time that the Vuelta Ciclista a España has opened in the province of Málaga. In 1972 and 1975 the ‘Grand Départ’ was hosted by Fuengirola, followed by Estepona in 1976, and Málaga city in 2000 and 2006.

Next year, it’s Puerto Banús‘ turn, and as mayor Ángeles Muñoz so rightly says, “With its international projection, the event will mean a hugely important promotion of our town.”

Bring it on!