Illes Balears Arabay disappears from the peloton. The Spanish Continental team was set to start its season on Friday at the Classica Camp de Morvedre (1.1), but on Monday the team announced that the project has been discontinued.
"The decision is not driven by sporting reasons or a lack of commercial support," writes Illes Balears Arabay, which was based in the Spanish Balearic Islands, on the team website. "The project had sponsors, a guaranteed budget, contracted riders and technical staff, and an official presentation was scheduled for January 27.
"Circumstances beyond the team’s control, related to agreements with government agencies that could not be finalized in time, have led to uncertainty incompatible with the stability required for a professional structure of this level. Management has chosen a responsible decision, prioritizing not putting the people and companies involved at risk."
Future?
So we won’t see the Continental team in action in 2026, but the team is exploring 'future possibilities to resume the project in a solid and sustainable way,' they say. The decision to stop also has no impact on the elite/U23 squads for both men and women, which will continue to compete at the club level in 2026.
Last year there were no big names on Illes Balears Arabay. The most successful rider was Alvaro Sagrado, who placed third in the Tour of Romania (2.2) and sixth in the Sibiu Cycling Tour (2.1). In 2024, when the team held a Continental license for the first time, Alex Molenaar was also on the roster. The Dutchman with a Spanish mother moved up again a year later, joining Caja Rural-Seguros. He will continue to ride for this ProTeam in the coming season.
Former pro Daniel Navarro, known among other things as a domestique for Alberto Contador, was the head sports director at Illes Balears Arabay. The Spaniard has already found a new role for 2026: he will become team director at Equipo Kern Pharma.
Illes Balears Arabay Cycling 2025(UCI Continental Team)
