5- La Vuelta
Now that cycling is clean from drugs again, La Vuelta takes its place alongside the Giro and Tour de France as the most watched cycling events in the world. In 2012 a stage of La Vuelta (the tour) actually ended on the Orihuela Costa and passed through La Zenia on the way! Unfortunately it takes a mini second to pass by but still it made it onto our list partly due to the buzz it brings with it.
Highlights- The helicopters, Eurosport commentators and the team´s entourages.
4.Formula 1-
International motor racing has quite the history in Spain and in 2012 the country held two F1 races. Barcelona is the home of the Catalan Grand Prix while Valencia city hosts the fantastic street grand prix. From 2013 the Spanish Grand prix will alternate between the two cities every 2nd year. Of course more political instability and social unrest in places like Bahrain could see a return to two Spanish races per year very soon.
Highlights- The noise of the Ferrari’s arriving by the hundred into the car park on race day!
3- Running of the bulls
Ok, I get it…. “Its not a real sport, like Aerobics or spinning”. That said, Bullfighting is Spain´s second most popular “sport” and the 7 day festival in honour of San Fermin in Pamplona is the best chance amateurs can come face to face with a real live Bos Taurus.
There are bullrings everywhere here if you cant get to Pamplona in July but this is such a sensitive issue right now in Spain be careful who you tell you are going to watch it. Ernest Hemmingway couldnt have got it that wrong now could he? Could he?
Highlight- not getting gorged by a bull.
Highlight 2- the fact it still is legal.
2- Davis Cup Tennis
When Rafa Nadal served the winning point of the 2011 davis cup final in Seville, 6.2 million Spaniards were tuned in. In fact half the TV sets in Spain at that exact moment were watching tennis. I´m not a tennis fan but the Davis cup, like the Ryder cup turns an individual sport into a team game and it works!
Similar to the national football teams, the host venues changes often meaning that more people actually get to see the games live across the country. La Torre Golf Resort for example hosted a Davis cup semi final between Spain and Israel three years ago and 12,000 people turned up.
Highlights- Its only tennis but still really, really good.
1- El Classico.
Unless your family have been season ticket holders for the last 8 generations in the Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou you´re going to struggle to get tickets for the most watched club football game in World football.
Now however its possible that Barca and Madrid can play up to 8 Classicos per year- (you still wont get a ticket) They can play twice in the super cup (home and away), twice in La Liga, twice in the Kings cup and twice in the champions league.
Highlight- watching a city shut down an hour before the game- absolutely shutting down with nothing mentioned except futbol.
2 nd highlight- Messi. He´s good.
Next week we´ll stick together the five sporting events you need to attend that didnt make the top five list!
(Hint- no snooker, darts, GAA or cricket)
Trips to all major sporting events can be arranged by the friendly girls in the Travel agency La Zenia. They even have classico tickets for the cup games if you act really quickly.
Email Yvonne on;
[email protected]
Now that cycling is clean from drugs again, La Vuelta takes its place alongside the Giro and Tour de France as the most watched cycling events in the world. In 2012 a stage of La Vuelta (the tour) actually ended on the Orihuela Costa and passed through La Zenia on the way! Unfortunately it takes a mini second to pass by but still it made it onto our list partly due to the buzz it brings with it.
Highlights- The helicopters, Eurosport commentators and the team´s entourages.
4.Formula 1-
International motor racing has quite the history in Spain and in 2012 the country held two F1 races. Barcelona is the home of the Catalan Grand Prix while Valencia city hosts the fantastic street grand prix. From 2013 the Spanish Grand prix will alternate between the two cities every 2nd year. Of course more political instability and social unrest in places like Bahrain could see a return to two Spanish races per year very soon.
Highlights- The noise of the Ferrari’s arriving by the hundred into the car park on race day!
3- Running of the bulls
Ok, I get it…. “Its not a real sport, like Aerobics or spinning”. That said, Bullfighting is Spain´s second most popular “sport” and the 7 day festival in honour of San Fermin in Pamplona is the best chance amateurs can come face to face with a real live Bos Taurus.
There are bullrings everywhere here if you cant get to Pamplona in July but this is such a sensitive issue right now in Spain be careful who you tell you are going to watch it. Ernest Hemmingway couldnt have got it that wrong now could he? Could he?
Highlight- not getting gorged by a bull.
Highlight 2- the fact it still is legal.
2- Davis Cup Tennis
When Rafa Nadal served the winning point of the 2011 davis cup final in Seville, 6.2 million Spaniards were tuned in. In fact half the TV sets in Spain at that exact moment were watching tennis. I´m not a tennis fan but the Davis cup, like the Ryder cup turns an individual sport into a team game and it works!
Similar to the national football teams, the host venues changes often meaning that more people actually get to see the games live across the country. La Torre Golf Resort for example hosted a Davis cup semi final between Spain and Israel three years ago and 12,000 people turned up.
Highlights- Its only tennis but still really, really good.
1- El Classico.
Unless your family have been season ticket holders for the last 8 generations in the Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou you´re going to struggle to get tickets for the most watched club football game in World football.
Now however its possible that Barca and Madrid can play up to 8 Classicos per year- (you still wont get a ticket) They can play twice in the super cup (home and away), twice in La Liga, twice in the Kings cup and twice in the champions league.
Highlight- watching a city shut down an hour before the game- absolutely shutting down with nothing mentioned except futbol.
2 nd highlight- Messi. He´s good.
Next week we´ll stick together the five sporting events you need to attend that didnt make the top five list!
(Hint- no snooker, darts, GAA or cricket)
Trips to all major sporting events can be arranged by the friendly girls in the Travel agency La Zenia. They even have classico tickets for the cup games if you act really quickly.
Email Yvonne on;
[email protected]
