By Marie-Antoinette Issa.

Every July, the Tour de France pedals into motion as a 21-stage epic that traces a winding, mountainous route across France and beyond - showcasing the grit of the world's best cyclists and the grandeur of the regions they pass through.

From alpine climbs to coastal sprints, it’s a sporting spectacle and cultural celebration rolled into one.

In 2026, the Grand Depart - the iconic starting point of the Tour - will take place not in France, but in the heart of Catalonia. For the first time ever, Barcelona plays host to this historic launch and with it comes an experience that redefines what it means to be a spectator.

Enter Barcelona Grand Depart 2026 - a five-night, ultra-luxe tour crafted by Australia’s official Tour de France tour operator, Mummu Cycling, in partnership with MoVida’s celebrated Chef Frank Camorra.

Forget standing behind the barricades or queuing at tourist restaurants. This is a race week that begins at the table and ends with you inside the story - credentialed, escorted and deeply, deliciously connected.

"The 2026 Grand Depart isn’t just another start line; it's a historic moment where the world's greatest race meets one of the world's most vibrant cities," shares Marcel Berger, founder of Mummu Cycling. "Through our collaboration with Frank, we’re able to open doors into his Barcelona to showcase the flavours, the stories and the soul of a city electrified by the race."

It all begins quietly, with a welcome dinner at Disfrutar - one of Spain’s most quietly inventive kitchens. The venue is handpicked by Frank and while the Chef curates the space and the experience, he lets the food speak for itself.

Dishes arrive in silence, like secrets being shared. Catalonia is reimagined in courses. At the long table: only 28 guests, joined by cycling royalty Stuart O’Grady and Cadel Evans. There are no speeches. No ceremony. Just the hum of anticipation. The Tour is about to start and, somehow, it already has.

Over the next few days, the guests will be immersed in moments usually reserved for sponsors and the pro peloton. Mummu Cycling makes the impossible feel effortless: full credentials for behind-the-scenes access, intimate viewing of all three Barcelona stages and the opportunity to ride the official race course with a police escort.

It’s a privilege few can even imagine and one that riders will talk about long after the Champagne corks have popped in Paris.

Of course, the roads are only half the story. Frank has curated a culinary map of his childhood - one that bypasses starred restaurants and TikTok trends in favour of hidden gems, century-old recipes and producers you won’t find on Google.

"Anyone can find a famous restaurant in Barcelona. I want to share my Barcelona - the one I grew up with. This is about connecting guests with the small producers, the century-old recipes and the hidden gems that you won't find in a guidebook," he says.

On day two or three, a handful of lucky guests are whisked away to Toc al Mar, a wood-fired seafood restaurant nestled into the sands of Aiguablava. The sea breeze mingles with the scent of flame-grilled wild fish. Frank doesn’t come - because he doesn’t need to. The place speaks for itself: relaxed, reverent and rooted in the kind of flavour that’s passed down, not posted online.

Then, just as the peloton begins to wind its way out of the city, the farewell dinner unfolds at Can Margarit, a traditional tavern that stole Frank’s heart many years ago. "First time I came here," he says, "I was chasing stories, not stars. I followed the smell of wood smoke into this taberna, where I was handed a glass of red wine before I even sat down. That was it. No menu. Just food that arrived hot, loud and exactly as it should be."

It’s a perfect end to a week not built around luxury, but legacy. Roasted rabbit, garlicky snails and slow-braised beef are served family-style beneath hanging wine casks and walls that feel like they’ve heard a thousand stories - because they have.

While the Tour de France may return to French soil soon after - with Bastille Day banners fluttering across the border and the peloton surging through Provence - this Grand Depart lingers. In the memory. On the tongue and somewhere deep in the legs of 28 very lucky travellers who didn’t just watch the race - they rode it, tasted it, lived it.