Tenerife Denied 2026 La Vuelta Finish, Officials Vow Future Attempt

During the Aurum Magma Tenerife presentation on Tuesday, officials used the event to clarify their position: La Vuelta cycling race will not be able to finish in Tenerife in 2026.

However, Vice President Lope Afonso and the Tenerife Island Council are not giving up and are already preparing for another attempt. Afonso initially spoke somewhat cryptically, comparing their situation to tough mountain stages in cycling where champions like Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso never quit. "We won't give up either," he declared, "and we will keep fighting until we conquer this pass. We will conquer it." He then became more direct, stating, "Tenerife is ready to host La Vuelta; it has all the necessary attractions and conditions... We want La Vuelta to finish in Tenerife."

Later, after the event, Lope Afonso hinted at his frustration over all the work and effort that didn't come to fruition this time. "I can assure you that we have done everything possible, in the broadest sense of the term," he commented. This included ensuring that the Master Plan for Use and Management of Teide National Park – a plan recently negotiated with the Canary Islands Government and awaiting final approval – included the option for a stage of La Vuelta to pass through, and even conclude, near the island's most iconic mountain.

"All of this required conscious work because we had made significant progress on the possibilities of hosting La Vuelta," Afonso explained. "Tenerife, from a sporting, technical, and even legal standpoint, was in a position to guarantee La Vuelta's arrival under the best conditions." He then optimistically argued, "Therefore, once that scenario was established, if not in 2026, why can't it be later?"

When asked if 'later' could mean 2027, Afonso concluded, "If the conditions are met and assuming that the organization, Unipublic, also has an interest, then we, for our part, will be open to negotiation."