"We will not give up": Tenerife hopes for Vuelta to return at some point, despite a 2026 fiasco

The 2025 edition of Vuelta a España was tainted by the numerous protests against the presence of Israeli team: Israel - Premier Tech team. As a consequence, multiple stages were altered, many stage arrivals moved, or even neutralized, and the final stage of the race in Madrid, including podium ceremony, completely called off. And while both team owner Sylvan Adams and Israel withdrew from the project, and the entire structure has been revamped, concerns continue to haunt the peloton.

That's also why the dream of seeing a high finish on Teide in the Vuelta a España will have to wait. As is known, the 2026 edition will no longer finish on the Canary Islands after Gran Canaria disassociated itself from the project due to the possible presence of the team formerly known as Israel - Premier Tech. The decision left months of joint work without effect, but Tenerife assures that it will try again.

The island already had the necessary environmental permits to run the race up to the 2,390 meters of the Astrophysical Observatory, within the Teide National Park, a specially protected environment.

The plan envisaged four island stages, with a total cost of 7 million euros, paid for by the regional government and the two local councils. Without the contribution of Gran Canaria, the figure became unaffordable.

Manolo González, advisor of Ideco, the entity in charge of the local organization, regretted in AS the breaking of the agreement: "We are very hurt. It was a beneficial project for the whole archipelago, for tourism and for cycling. Everything has fallen apart because of political issues that should have no place in sport."

The Vuelta had not visited the islands since 1988, and the initial plan included two stages in Gran Canaria, with a climb to Pico de las Nieves, before jumping to Tenerife for the grand finale on Teide.

Gran Canaria resigned from the project due to the possibility of the participation of the team linked to Israel, which in 2026 will adopt the new name NSN Cycling Team. Its president, Antonio Morales, had already expressed it clearly in September: "If Israel participates, no. Gran Canaria is not willing to cover up the genocide or the actions of Israel through sport or by any other means."

Despite the change of name of the team and the information about the departure of Sylvan Adams from its management, the Grancanarian authorities maintained their position. A source quoted by AS stressed that, although the team is going through financial problems, its structure and sporting possibilities still allow it to compete in La Vuelta.

The blow has been hard, but Tenerife is not giving up on hosting the race in the future. During an event with Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso, the vice-president of the Cabildo, Lope Afonso, reiterated: "Like Contador in the mountains, we will not give up until we reach the top.

The intention is to recover the project for a later edition, taking advantage of the fact that much of the technical and environmental work has already been done.

Following the step backwards by the islands, Granada has emerged as the main option for the grand finale in 2026, according to Cadena SER. The proposal would include a high finish in Sierra Nevada as the penultimate stage and a closing in the city of Granada itself.

The official announcement of the route is expected for next December 17, during the presentation in Monaco, where the complete route of La Vuelta is traditionally unveiled. It is rumored that the sign for 2026 will be an eye-catching "Monaco-Granada".