Mexico and the Canary Islands shake up the start of 2027 with new races and the Del Toro question

Cycling
Isaac del Toro recons the 2026 World Championships course in Montreal
The 2027 cycling season will open with significant calendar changes. The return of the Tour de México and the launch of the Vuelta Ciclista a Canarias bring the professional start even earlier and will force teams to rethink their early-season preparation plans.
Although the Tour Down Under will remain the first WorldTour event, scheduled from 19.01 to 24.01, professional racing will begin several days earlier. The Vuelta Ciclista a Canarias will run from 14.01 to 17.01, while Mexico will also host a new one-day race and a stage race.
The comeback of Mexican races is directly linked to the sport’s growth in the country and the impact generated by Isaac del Toro. The UAE Team Emirates XRG rider has become the leading figure of Mexican cycling, and his profile could be decisive in driving these new events.
However, his presence at the North American races is not yet confirmed. In Montreal, Del Toro acknowledged the importance of these events, but his 2027 schedule still needs to be agreed with UAE Team Emirates XRG. A decision could come during the final races of the European season or at the team’s camp in the Emirates at the end of October.

Mexico regains prominence in January

Mexico’s new calendar will start on 17.01 with the Clásica de la República, a one-day race set in Mexico City. Two days later, the Tour de México will get underway, a stage race running through 23.01 that will allow teams to bank race days and UCI points from the opening weeks of the season.
The project revives the spirit of the former Vuelta a México, an event that achieved notable international prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, thanks in particular to Raúl Alcalá. Now, Del Toro’s rise and the new structure of the Federación Mexicana de Ciclismo aim to restore Mexico’s relevance on the international calendar.
The two new races were announced by Bernardo de la Garza, president of the Federación Mexicana de Ciclismo, and are already officially on the 2027 UCI calendar. The so-called MEX Tour will carry 2.1 status, while the Clásica de la República will be 1.1, opening the door to WorldTour and ProTeam participation.
In addition, both events will follow immediately after the Mexican Championships, scheduled from 08.01 to 10.01. The federation has dubbed this intense block “Crazy January”, a bid to concentrate top-level racing in the year’s first weeks and turn the country into one of the international cycling hubs in January.
Isaac del Toro, Mexican star of UAE Team
Isaac del Toro after the 2026 Montreal World Championships.

Canary Islands also bring the calendar forward

The other major addition will be the Vuelta Ciclista a Canarias, set for 14.01 to 17.01. The race will feature four stages split between Gran Canaria and Tenerife and will have 2.1 status, enabling a field of WorldTour and ProTeam squads alongside Continental teams and national selections.
Its calendar slot could be especially attractive for teams. The chance to pair a training camp with racing will allow some outfits to bring forward their Spanish camps and exploit the islands’ weather to prepare for the season start.
The effect could be particularly significant for teams that traditionally hold winter camps on the mainland. The Canary Islands offer a favourable setting to train and race without waiting for the Tour Down Under or the first European fixtures in February.
Mexico is targeting a similar impact from a different angle. The country’s altitude and training conditions could persuade some teams to shift their January camps there and combine preparation with competition. With UCI points on the line from day one, 2027 could kick off with far greater intensity than usual.
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