Vuelta a España crosses new frontier with stage start in supermarket

The 2024 cycling season has been one for the history books. Biniam Girmay became the first black African rider to win a Tour de France stage. Marianne Vos won her 250th career race. Mark Cavendish broke the Tour de France stage win record.

There is a larger milestone still to come, however. Stage six of the Vuelta a España will begin from within a supermarket for the first time ever, according to the race organisers. 

Jerez de la Frontera Carrefour Sur has been chosen to host the historic moment, due to the French supermarket chain being the official sponsors of the race, adorning the red jersey, currently worn by Primož Roglič, among other things. 

Not only does the Centro Commercial to the south of the Andalusian city contain a massive Carrefour, it has a Primark, a cinema, a couple of cafés and a mobile phone shop. Perhaps defending champion Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) could catch the summer blockbuster before the stage, or Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) could grab some last minute supplies for the road. It is unknown if Primark Spain is considering adding a range of cycling kit.

Stage six itself is a lumpy affair, with four third-category climbs, and a first-category to get started with. It ends with one of the third cats, a classic finish for a Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) victory, if the Slovenian recovers from his injuries in time. Perhaps he'll do it with the added help of some last minute Carrefour shopping.

It's not the first time that a Vuelta stage has started somewhere different - the opening day of the 2021 race began inside Burgos Cathedral - but it's fair to say that this is the weirdest.

"Carrefour will host the first stage start from inside a supermarket in the history of cycling," the press release from the Vuelta organisers Specifically, it will be Carrefour Jerez Sur that will host the start of stage 6 of La Vuelta on 22 August. It’s an unprecedented event in the major races that highlights the innovative spirit of the company, which this year celebrates its twelfth anniversary as main sponsor.

"The peloton will ride through the inside of Carrefour, which will become the starting arch for the cyclists, led by the race car in the area where customers usually do their shopping. The store will be decked out to celebrate this great event, and a number of customers and collaborators will have the honour of witnessing this sporting milestone.

"The day will be accompanied by a series of exciting activities for the whole family. Carrefour has prepared interactive activities, tastings and raffles so that attendees can have an unforgettable experience in the Vuelta Park."

It is a big deal for the supermarket chain, as it will be for the rest of the world: "With this new milestone, Carrefour reaffirms its position as an energiser of one of the most important sporting events in Spain. In Jerez alone, more than 400 employees will be involved in the preparations of this unique and original event that will make cycling history."

This peculiar stage start does leave some open questions, such as: are bikes supposed to be ridden inside supermarkets? Are the floors going to be re-laid? What happens if someone takes part in some light shoplifting? It will be a fascinating affair. I hope that the security gates are closed and that every member of the peloton has to scan their receipt before leaving.

There are also two teams who count rival supermarkets as headline sponsors - Lidl-Trek and Intermarché-Wanty. Riders for the former are not supposed to set foot in a competitor's shop while in kit, so the Carrefour start does pose some problems. 

When contacted to find out what the squad's plan is, nothing had been worked out as of yet, but a quick look at Google Maps reveals a Lidl just around the corner; an alternative start could just be a solution.