‘We will not give up until we reach the summit’ – Tenerife remains determined to host Vuelta a España in future with a Mount Teide finish on the cards

Local authorities in Tenerife have confirmed the 2026 Vuelta a España will not visit the Canary Islands next September. However, they remain committed to bringing Spain’s Grand Tour to the island, with a stage to Mount Teide on the cards, according to a report from AS.

The 2026 race had been scheduled to conclude in the islands, with visits to both Tenerife and Gran Canaria. However, with the government of Gran Canaria opposed to the attendance of the Israel-Premier Tech team, the race’s first visit to the archipelago since 1988 is now on indefinite hold.

According to AS, an agreement to bring the race to the islands was almost done, but a change of heart by the Gran Canaria Island Council has scuppered those plans completely. Their decision came after this year’s Vuelta a España was disrupted by pro-Palestine protests against Israel-Premier Tech’s presence, in light of the war in the Gaza Strip.

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The team has since rebranded and will race as NSN Cycling Team under a Swiss licence in 2026. Team owner Sylvan Adams is stepping back from ‘day-to-day involvement’ with the team, but this appears to have made no difference to the decisions.

Preparations for the race’s visit to Tenerife were well underway, with a stage slated to finish at the Mount Teide Observatory, 2,390m above sea level, set to be the highlight of the visit and, indeed, the entire three-week race.

Each year, the mountain hosts many of the world’s top riders for altitude training, many of them staying at the Parador hotel, which is below the proposed race finish.

Any repeat of the environmental protests which preceded the 2025 Vuelta’s visit to Bola del Mundo had already been addressed, with environmental permits allowing the race to pass through the Teide National Park already granted.

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The government of Tenerife is reported to have briefly considered hosting the race without their neighbour; however, the expense proved too much, though they remain determined that the visit should go ahead in future.

According to AS, last week, First Vice-President and Councillor for Tourism of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Lope Alfonso, hosted the launch of Aurum’s Magma Tenerife alongside brand owners Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso, saying, “Just like Contador did in the mountains, we will not give up until we reach the summit.”

Manolo González, who was advising the local Vuelta stage organisers, added, “We are very hurt, because there was a lot of work behind a project that was good for everyone: for all of the Canary Islands, for tourism, for cycling.”

The route of the 2026 Vuelta a España is set to be announced on December 17.