In an unexpected twist, the city of Barcelona was plunged into darkness during the first stage of La Vuelta a España 2023 last weekend, causing a stir among cyclists and the public alike.
As the day grew darker, racers found themselves competing in an environment of limited visibility, leading to criticism and concerns about the safety of the race. Why were the city’s streetlights not lit in a timely manner?
The dark stage of the Vuelta a España 2023
The Barcelona stage, which promised to be an exciting start to La Vuelta a España 2023, was marred by adverse weather conditions.
As the rain fell and the storm intensified, the cycling teams faced an opening time trial with additional challenges due to the lack of lighting. The cyclists most affected were those who had to race at the end of the day, such as the Soudal team, led by Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel.
The discontent was not long in coming and Evenepoel, champion of the previous edition of La Vuelta, expressed his frustration as he crossed the finish line. His complaint about poor visibility and the danger posed to riders competing in such conditions resonated throughout the cycling world.
Darkness in the Vuelta a España 2023: streetlights off in Barcelona
As criticism mounted and questions about the lack of street lighting in Barcelona became inevitable, the City Council was forced to explain itself.
According to municipal sources, the City Council admitted that it was unable to bring forward the lighting of the streetlights due to technical difficulties and unpredictable weather conditions.
The city’s lighting system, which is normally activated through sensors and timers, was affected by the dense cloud cover and lack of luminosity.
Although the City Council attempted to move up the lighting schedule for the streetlights, the system did not respond to the request, resulting in a scenario in which the city remained in darkness until 20:45, when the lighting was scheduled to take place.
While the idea of advancing the ignition to ensure a safe and fair race was feasible, technical difficulties and the programmed operation of the system prevented its immediate implementation.
In addition, the sudden change in weather and lighting conditions exemplifies the unforeseen challenges that can arise in live events such as La Vuelta.
Despite the technical difficulties and criticism, and even though the city’s streetlights remained off during the stage, the Vuelta a España went ahead, demonstrating the resilience of the cyclists and the commitment of the organizers to the sport.
