From tourism to COVID-era deliveries - Barcelona women reinvent bike business

Geraldine Caillaud, member of the bicycle delivery company Les Mercedes, rides through the gothic area at Barcelona's city center, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain, December 17, 2020. Picture taken December 17, 2020. REUTERS/Albert Gea

BARCELONA (Reuters) - When the coronavirus slammed Spain in March, Ariadna Serra realised that 2020 and beyond looked dreadful for the cycling tours for foreign students company she co-founded ten years ago.

So Serra, 41, and five of her female co-workers explored new opportunities over virtual drinks. They decided to follow their passion for cycling to fund a delivery company using bikes in Barcelona, aiming to benefit from the online shopping boom prompted by the pandemic.