A brand new professional cycling race is coming to the Canary Islands

The first ever Vuelta Ciclista a Canarias launches in January 2027, bringing WorldTour teams to Gran Canaria and Tenerife

Cycling fans in the Canaries have something genuinely exciting to look forward to. A brand new professional stage race, the Vuelta Ciclista a Canarias, will debut from January 14-17 2027, marking the first international stage race to be held on European soil next season.

The race has been classified UCI 2.1, which means it's not just a local affair. WorldTour teams, the very top tier of professional cycling, alongside ProTeams and invited Continental squads, will all be eligible to take part, giving the islands a genuine shot at attracting some serious talent for its first edition.

Four stages will make up the route, kicking off with two days in Gran Canaria on January 14-15, before the peloton moves across to Tenerife for the final two stages on January 16-17. A team presentation will be held beforehand, and organisers have confirmed the route will include a coastal stage, a medium mountain stage, a high mountain stage and a summit finish to wrap things up. Exact routes and start and finish points haven't been announced yet.

It makes a lot of sense that the Canaries would host something like this. The islands are already hugely popular with professional cycling teams during the off season, thanks to a winter climate that's hard to beat and genuinely demanding terrain, including the legendary climbs of Mount Teide in Tenerife and the mountain roads of Gran Canaria. Organisers reckon more than 70% of the professional peloton already trains there each winter, which gives the race a ready made pool of riders and teams right on its doorstep.

Coverage shouldn't be a problem either. The race will be broadcast live on Eurosport, alongside international and digital platforms, with organisers estimating it could reach viewers in more than 60 countries. That's a fair bit of exposure for Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and good news for the wider tourism and economic benefits the race is hoping to bring to the archipelago.

Behind the scenes, the event is being organised by Canarias Eventos 360, with backing from the Canary Islands Government, the island councils and the various municipalities set to host stages.

And there's more ambition still to come. Organisers have their sights set on expanding the race to six stages in future editions, with Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro all potentially joining the route in years to come. For now though, all eyes turn to January 2027 and the islands' first taste of top level professional cycling.

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