Mikel Landa shows support in Panama as Euskaltel-Euskadi secure 2027 Grand Tour ranking
Euskaltel-Euskadi have achieved their goal of finishing inside the top 30 of the UCI team rankings and their new team leader cheered them on at the final race of the 2026 season.
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The final races of the 2026 season saw several ProTeams fighting for vital UCI rankings points, with a place inside the top 30 crucial for maintaining the possibility of receiving a wildcard invitation for the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France or Vuelta a España in 2027.
Euskaltel-Euskadi entered the final stretch of the season needing points to secure a position inside the top 30 and delivered a strong ending to the campaign in Panama. The Basque team scored 93 UCI points at the Gran Prix de Chiriquí on Friday by placing three riders in the top five, lifting them to 28th place with a total of 2,839 points.
They continued their momentum at the two-stage Clásica Provincia de Chiriquí, dominating the opening stage as Gotzon Martín led a clean sweep of the top four.
Martín finished second on Sunday’s final stage to seal the overall victory and help Euskaltel consolidate their position in the top 30.
“The impossible, achieved through perseverance,” the team stated. “Euskaltel-Euskadi in the UCI top 30: 28th place and a chance to compete for invitations to the Grand Tours in 2027.”
The achievement is a boost for the team ahead of Mikel Landa’s arrival next season.
The Basque climber has signed a two-year contract, marking his return to Euskaltel more than a decade after his previous spell with the team.
Landa, who won the penultimate stage of the Vuelta in September, was photographed in Panama supporting his future teammates.
Euskaltel's top 30 finish ultimately keeps the door open for Landa to return to the Vuelta in 2027, though an invitation is not guaranteed.
Euskaltel’s success came at the expense of Bardiani CSF 7 Saber who finished 31st and now face the reality of missing the Giro for the first time in 18 years.
Veteran team manager Bruno Reverberi criticised the UCI ranking system, arguing that teams are forced to race around the world chasing points without equal access to events.
"How can you call it a true classification if we all don't ride the same races?" he asked on Italian state broadcaster RAI last week.
"What can you do if they don't invite you to a race? One team can ride 100 races, another 30 and another a WorldTour race, all with very different points awarded."
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