Berni Álvarez fires opening pistol at Tour Barcelona

Former basketball star Berni Álvarez, Catalonia’s sports adviser, fired the opening pistol for the Tour de France in Barcelona on Saturday, becoming the first of his office to perform the ceremonial role. Álvarez, a cycling enthusiast who followed the Indurain era, said he hopes Catalonia will host a major international event each year. syntagm.co.za