he long-discussed plan to bring La Vuelta a España back to the Canary Islands for the first time since 1988 has collapsed, according to reporting from AS. What had been a nearly finalized deal—two stages on Gran Canaria and two on Tenerife has fallen apart. The Cabildo de Gran Canaria–the island’s governing body–reaffirmed its position that it would not host the race if the Israel-registered team remained eligible to compete.
Officials told AS that recent news about ownership changes and financial strain inside the team did not meaningfully change their view. Although the squad has said founder Sylvan Adams is stepping back and that its licence might shift to another country, Gran Canaria officials argued that “the owner of the team remains the same” and that the outfit could still appear at the race through its sporting status. As AS noted, they maintained the stance they took in September, right after the 2025 edition ended amid protests.
Organizers must follow UCI
Because team participation is determined by the UCI—not the race organizer, Unipublic—local authorities saw no guarantee the team would be absent in 2026. With Gran Canaria declining to sign off before the deadline, Tenerife indicated it would not absorb the full estimated cost of roughly 6.5 million Euro. Several municipalities on Tenerife, including La Laguna and others in the south, had also expressed similar misgivings about hosting if the Israel team appeared on the start list.
Unipublic had held out hope for a late agreement, but the silence heading into December didn’t sound promising. The route presentation is set for Dec. 17 in Monaco, and the absence of any announcement about a Canary Islands finale made the final refusal almost inevitable, AS reported.
With the race scheduled for Aug. 22 to Sept. 13, organizers now need a new finishing venue. Madrid, traditionally the final stop, is off the table for 2026 due to a Formula 1 Grand Prix on the same day. The final stage of the 2025 edition into Madrid was cancelled due to protests, same with the podium ceremonies. (Although riders held an unofficial one in a hotel parking lot.)
The latest on Israel – Premier Tech
Meanwhile, Premier Tech–which ceased sponsorship of Israel – Premier Tech, announced Tuesday it is partnering with St Michel – Preference Home– Auber93.
As far as the new name and sponsor of IPT–nothig yet, but the soon-to-be…
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