35 kilometers for history between Telde and Las Palmas
On April 27, 1988, the only stage of the Vuelta in Gran Canaria took place. It was the third stage of the race, following the first two in Tenerife. For the occasion, the organizers prepared a 35-kilometer team time trial from Telde to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. About 40 streets were affected by traffic closures, but the use of public transportation by most citizens prevented chaos. The logistics of moving the peloton from the Islands to the mainland were more complex. In sporting terms, the BH team’s clear victory in the time trial stood out, reinforcing their leader, Laudelino Cubino, in the general classification. He eventually finished second behind Irishman Sean Kelly.
Amid the final stages of four-way negotiations between public institutions—Government of the Canary Islands and the councils of Gran Canaria and Tenerife—and Unipublic, the race organizers, there’s talk of bringing the Vuelta a España back to the Canary roads, with Pico de las Nieves and Teide as main attractions. It’s impossible not to recall the only previous time the Spanish tour reached the Islands in 1988. A surreal event occurred when an attempt to sabotage the race with tacks during the first two stages in Tenerife failed spectacularly. This attempt was led by the Movement for the Self-determination and Independence of the Canary Archipelago (Mpaiac) and its founder Antonio Cubillo. The attempt to create chaos was nothing more than an anecdote on April 25 and 26, during that edition’s first and second stages.
Reports of the time state that several people were arrested by the Civil Guard, including Cubillo’s 16-year-old son, Guetón, who was caught throwing tacks as the peloton passed. These became news during the two stages of the Vuelta 88 in Tenerife when they were repeatedly thrown on the roads between the municipalities of La Victoria and Santa Úrsula by independentist militants opposed to the race.
Both the sabotage attempt in Tenerife and concerns in Gran Canaria about traffic cuts for the racers resulted in mere fears, with a highlight on the sporting success led by the BH team and their leader Laudelino "Lale" Cubino, as well as the civility of island fans, as praised by champion Perico Delgado, who was absent that year and attended as a Spanish Television commentator.
Objective: 2026
The year 2026 is shaping up to be a new red-letter date for sports and cycling enthusiasts. Intense negotiations over the past two years between the councils of Gran Canaria and Tenerife and the Canary Islands Government with Unipublic, the Vuelta organizer, are bringing the race closer to the Islands 38 years after their first inclusion. There is talk of challenging the peloton with legendary climbs such as Pico de las Nieves on Gran Canaria and Teide on Tenerife. These would be two of the stages among the four considered in negotiations, as the exact number of stages in the Canary Islands remains undecided. These stages will decide the champions of the country’s premier cycling race and one of the world’s top three, alongside the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia.
The Sports and Tourism Councils of both islands and the Regional Government have once again teamed up to attract a world-class sporting event that would place Gran Canaria and Tenerife at the epicenter of the cycling world during its passage.
Recent highlights include Gran Canaria hosting the Basketball King’s Cup, being selected as a host city for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, and including the Canary Islands Rally as a World Rally Championship event.
All parties involved are working to finalize the agreement for the Vuelta to return to the island roads. The negotiation is arduous, but optimism remains that the operation will succeed this time. Currently, an investment of around seven million euros is being considered, split equally between the Canary Islands Government and the councils of Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
As with other major sports events held on Gran Canaria, such as the Canary Islands Rally or the Basketball King’s Cup, this investment would likely be exceeded by the returns generated from hosting such monumental events.
