Now that a finale on the Canary Islands is off the table, the organizers of the Vuelta a España have to go back to the drawing board to map out an alternative closing chapter. According to sports newspaper Marca, a traditional finale in Madrid is not an option, so they are turning to southern Spain instead.
The final stage to Madrid has long been a fixture in the Vuelta a España, but in 2026 the riders will not finish in the Spanish capital. According to the well-informed journalist Borja Cuadrado, this is entirely due to another major sporting event: Formula 1.
The final weekend of the 2026 Vuelta coincides with the Spanish Grand Prix (September 11-13), so the Tour of Spain organizers will need to find a different location for their sporting climax.
Sporting climax in the Sierra Nevada?
Race director Javier Guillén has reportedly already mapped out an alternative Vuelta finale, according to radio station Cadena SER. The last two stages will take place in the province of Granada, Andalusia. In the penultimate stage, the peloton is said to head straight through the Sierra Nevada—a familiar training ground for many riders—for a decisive mountain showdown.
Confirmation is still pending: the full route will only be announced a month from now, on Wednesday, December 17, during the official presentation in Monaco. The Vuelta will start in this microstate next year.
No Canary Islands
Everything seemed to indicate that the 2026 Vuelta a España would end on the Canary Islands. Due to the massive protests in the recent edition against the participation of Israel-Premier Tech, doubts had already arisen about whether this would go ahead. Now the plans seem completely off. The main headache: the fact that Premier Tech is allowed to take part in next year's Tour of Spain.
This clashes with the Gran Canaria island council. Now that the much-discussed team has distanced itself from its Israeli identity and will compete under a different name next year, and (possibly) with a Swiss license, it seems the tension should have eased, but nothing could be further from the truth. The island council is standing firm. They refuse to host the Vuelta as long as the team participates in the three-week race, despite recent developments.
