'We won't give up' - Tenerife vows future Teide Vuelta finish after 2026 plans dashed

Tenerife's preparations to host a 2026 Vuelta a España mountain-top finish at Mount Teide were derailed by Gran Canaria's last-minute withdrawal from the joint hosting agreement, despite environmental permits being secured for the 2,390m-high summit finish. However, Tenerife officials have vowed to reignite their plans for a future edition of the Spanish Grand Tour, according to a report in AS. 

Officials from Tenerife have expressed frustration at their neighbour's decision, which came when planning was nearly finalised for the four-stage island finale that would have cost €7 million, split between the regional government and both island councils, a price which Tenerife couldn’t bear alone.

The 2026 Vuelta was set to visit the Canary Islands for the first time since 1988, featuring two stages in Gran Canaria, including a climb to Pico de las Nieves, followed by two stages in Tenerife with a grand finale on Mount Teide.

"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... And it has all fallen apart due to political issues that shouldn't influence sports," said Manolo González to AS, advisor to Ideco, the company involved in the local organisation of the race.

Tenerife had made significant progress in preparations, securing permits for cycling through the environmentally sensitive Teide National Park. The planned finish at the Astrophysics Observatory at 2,390m promised a challenging climax to the three-week Grand Tour.

Lope Afonso, Vice President and Tourism Councillor of the Tenerife Island Council, remains determined to resurrect the project. Speaking alongside former champions Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso at a recent event, Afonso declared: "Just like Contador did in the mountains, we won't give up until we reach the summit."

The collapse stems from Gran Canaria's objection to the potential participation of the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech, despite the team’s decision to rebrand for 2026 to Never Say Never. 

Antonio Morales, head of the Gran Canaria Island Council, stated back in September: "I have to say with absolute conviction that if Israel is participating, then no. Gran Canaria is not willing to whitewash genocide and Israel's actions through sport or any other means."

Despite the team's recent changes, Gran Canaria's position remained firm. "Despite the news reports about Sylvan Adams's departure from the team's management and the financial difficulties the team is facing, the owner remains the same, and the possibility, based on sporting merit, of the team participating in La Vuelta is still there," a source told AS.

Granada has emerged as the leading contender to host the race conclusion instead, according to a report. from Cadena Ser. Domestique understands that there could be a possible penultimate stage summit finish on Sierra Nevada before the final stage into Granada.