Further meetings are required. The first solid meeting between the main Canary institutions (Government through its Sports and Tourism departments) and island authorities (councils of Tenerife and Gran Canaria) with Unipublic, the company in charge of the organization of the Vuelta a España cycling race, regarding the return of one of the three grand tours of the international calendar to the Archipelago, has only been the first step.
Far from sealing a definitive agreement, all the parties involved showcased, in a meeting that took place yesterday evening in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for about two hours, the initial official steps towards the return of the Spanish tour to the Archipelago almost four decades after its first and only presence in the Islands, specifically in 1988.
Months ago, representatives from the councils of Tenerife and Gran Canaria had informal meetings with Unipublic to express their renewed intention to have the race in these parts. Now, the commitment is firm.
The harmony between the negotiating parties, although nothing definitive has been agreed upon, seems to be right, and all have agreed to future meetings to finalize an agreement that will fulfill an old ambition, both of the Canary institutions and Unipublic, whose leaders, including the current Javier Guillén – who flew in from Madrid specifically to attend the meeting – have always aspired to have the Vuelta pass through Teide. Preferably as a stage finish… and of the tour.
With secrecy and maximum discretion as top conditions externally, this first step taken yesterday must be followed up without much delay. The negotiators’ aim is to have La Vuelta in the Canary Islands in 2026, especially since Unipublic already has the route for 2025 almost defined.
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The financial aspect of the operation – particularly the fee to be paid for hosting the starts and finishes of the stages – and the logistics required to transport all those involved in the race from the Peninsula to the Canary Islands, will be some of the aspects to be refined. Details to be ironed out as Unipublic’s premise is to have its presence in the Islands for four stages: two in Tenerife and two in Gran Canaria. The order of these stages – with the enticing bonus of hosting the tour finale after three weeks of competition – is another piece to fit into place.
