The Pertús tunnel, which crosses the border between Spain and France under the Pyrenees, has become the first category port that the Renfe climbers had been preparing for months and which they have finally succeeded in crowning. Crossing the border with passengers on board alone has been quite a challenge, overcoming the poles on the wheels that the French organization put on the Spanish cyclists. This puts an end to an infinite number of bureaucratic impediments since the breakdown of the cooperation agreement between Renfe and its French counterpart, the SNCF.
They managed to finish the first stage with Alberto Langarita and Jordi Gracia in first position, from the start to the finish. They are the train drivers who were in the cabin of the inaugural train that arrived in Lyon yesterday afternoon with 240 passengers on board. These French drivers, like the trains, have undergone months of training until they are able to travel on the tracks of the neighboring country. The effort it has entailed for them and for the company was embodied in the raised fist when they crossed the Pertús tunnel, visibly moved by the transcendence of a moment shared with La Vanguardia and which Renfe considers historic, since it is the first time that they operate alone outside of Spain. From today, this same train will connect Barcelona and Lyon every week from Friday to Monday.
The next stage will be completed on July 28, when the route to Marseille opens. The queen stage is for next year. "We have a clear goal of internationalization, the Tour guides us and encourages us to reach Paris in 2024", said the president of Renfe, Raül Blanco, surrounded by images of Miguel Induráin, Perico Delgado and other illustrious cycling The first train that Renfe operates alone in France has been wrapped in color and black and white photographs related to the Tour and the Vuelta, and they have given it an eloquent title: "Etapa reina, target Paris".
A complete declaration of intent for the company's plans, which had already shown its intention to transport Spanish athletes participating in the Olympic Games in the French capital next summer on Renfe trains. Still, it's a slightly more understated message than the teasing advertising campaign of the past three weeks, with press ads inviting travelers to join in buying tickets to France to see if all the country smells like croissants and if the inhabitants wear striped shirts. 43,000 tickets have already been sold for the coming weeks, 60% of which are for international journeys and 40% domestic.
Renfe's strategy in the neighboring country is leaving nothing to chance. The release date is not futile, it was chosen the day before July 14, the French national holiday, with the clear intention of hurting the pride of the neighboring country's public company, which has done so much to prevent the movement of trains from the rest of the countries on their tracks despite the European liberalization mandate. All in all, most travelers enjoyed the journey apart from any controversy. Couples, families, groups of friends of all ages and even train drivers on their day off shared seats on trains where Spanish, Catalan and French could be heard indiscriminately over the public address system and among the passengers.
