We are gradually introducing digital technologies, including AI, and other digital tools to help us follow and plan La Vuelta

La Vuelta a España is much more than a cycling race. Behind every stage lies a year of planning, a complex logistical operation, and the coordination of thousands of people, teams, institutions and services. In recent years, the race has strengthened its international profile, embraced new technologies and focused on attracting new audiences, particularly younger generations. Since 2010, UNIPUBLIC Deputy General Director, Charles Ojalvo, has been involved in every edition of La Vuelta. We spoke to him about how the race has evolved over the past 17 years, the technology used in its organisation, its relationship with Andorra, its international expansion, and the challenges La Vuelta faces in the years ahead. Interview: Irina Rybalchenko First of all, welcome to Andorra again. You have been involved in organising La Vuelta for many years. How has the race evolved during this time, and what has changed most in the way it is organised? I’ve been involved in the organisation of La Vuelta for 17 years., since 2010. It’s getting, the VELTA got more organised, we changed the philosophy of it, we got more professional, and we work much harder to make the product more interesting for the institutions, for the sponsors, for the public, and for everyone watching it on TV. How far ahead do you start planning a new edition? We already know the big starts for the next two or three years already, and from there we start working on the course, and it’s a full year of work. Andorra has become a regular host for major cycling events. Is there a possibility that La Vuelta could return here in the future? I don’t know. Would you consider organising other types of events in Andorra? We organised last year the Andorra Cycling Masters 2025, that was a big success, we’re very happy about it. We only organise cycling. But I have no ideas if we’re going to do more things with Andorra. That would have to be asked to Javier Guillén, the UNIPUBLIC’s Director General. What does a city have to provide in order to host a La Vuelta stage? What are the essential requirements for the start and finish areas? There is a book of requirements about space we need, safety we need, barrier we need, all of that is within a book that is given to the city, and we need a minimum requirement to be able to instal everything, all of that. So we need big spaces, some water and some recycling, to be able to be as sustainable as possible, and to work with the cities to leave it once we leave as it was when we arrived. How many people are involved in organising a single stage of La Vuelta? All together, with the cyclists and the teams, we are around 3,000. What makes the budget of a stage vary so significantly from one location to another? We don’t tend to communicate much about the budget. Technology is becoming increasingly important in professional cycling. How are artificial intelligence, satellite communications, drones and data analytics changing the way you plan and manage the race? Well, it’s key. Most of our race cars are equipped with satellite connection and Internet via satellite, because you’re always sure to have a great connection. We are gradually introducing digital technologies, including AI, and other digital tools to help us follow and plan the race. The race relies heavily on aerial images. What role do helicopters play in the television production? We use helicopters for filming and for relay to be able to pass all the image to the finish line and then from the finish line send it via satellite to the TV. La Vuelta attracts an enormous number of spectators along the route. How would you describe the evolution of cycling fans and their behaviour? We have an amazing fan base. The fans of cycling are really respectful. It’s cheering for everybody and a little bit more. It’s a very nice crowd, always there to support, willing to wait for hours to see the pelaton passing. So, it’s really easy to work with that kind of crowd. Looking ahead, what are the main priorities for the next editions of La Vuelta? We want to keep increasing our fan base. We want to be a key race in the Union Cycliste Internationale calendar for the riders. We want to be a safe and a very spectacular race. We invest a lot on safety. Women’s cycling has been growing rapidly. What role does La Vuelta Femenina play in your strategy, and how do you see its future? This year we had an amazing one with the victory of Paula Blasi, a Spanish rider (UCI UAE Team L’Imad). And we really invest a lot on it to make it comparable to the men’s. Attracting new generations of fans is becoming increasingly important for major sporting events. What are you doing to make La Vuelta more attractive to younger audiences? What are the main tools you are using to reach this new audience? Well, I’m not sure we’ll have enough time today to speak about all of it, but we have marketing teams that are making the race more attractive, that are attracting a new public, a younger audience, and all of that. On digital and stuff like that, we are working a lot to please our natural audience and to attract a younger audience to the sport. A race of this scale requires close cooperation with local authorities. How do you coordinate with the Andorran authorities and public services? We work very well, because Andorra is used to have a big event. It’s super easy to work with the Andorran authority. We know each other very well. La Vuelta has a strong international portfolio of sponsors. Which major international brands are involved, and approximately how large is your sponsorship portfolio? We have about 35 sponsors: Skoda, Carrefour, Loteria y Apuesta del Estado, Capgemini, Tissot… So there are quite some international sponsors big enough to communicate about the race abroad. What does a company need to bring to the table to become a sponsor of La Vuelta? Is there any minimal input to be a sponsor? Again, we don’t really talk about money… La Vuelta has increasingly developed an international dimension. What determines your decision to take the race to another country? Do you plan to increase the race’s international reach to expand to new countries? This year there are four countries: Spain, Andorra, France and Monaco. We are always interested to go abroad, but we need to find a reason, a historical reason, a link between the country we are starting from and Spain. For example, this year was the 150 years of diplomatic relations between Monaco and Spain. So that was a good thing. We started from the palace in Monaco and we will end in the Alhambra Palace in Granada. When we started from Italy, it was because for our 80th edition, we wanted to go to the three big countries of cycling that are Italy, France, and Spain. So we always need to find a reason. But we are always open to the possibility of starting the race in another country.The post We are gradually introducing digital technologies, including AI, and other digital tools to help us follow and plan La Vuelta first appeared on All PYRENEES.