The island council, the Consell de Mallorca, would like to propose the cycling destination as a venue for the Vuelta a Espana. This is reported in the Mallorcan newspaper Ultima Hora. The 81st edition of the Tour of Spain is set to start on the Balearic island in 2026. A motion to this effect is said to have been tabled at a plenary session on Thursday. A result is not yet known.
Vuelta a Espana: Start on Mallorca?
A meeting with Javier Guillen, the head of the Vuelta, is also planned as part of the Fitur tourism fair in Madrid, which runs from 24 to 28 January 2024, to present Mallorca as the starting location for 2026. However, the organisation and implementation of the project in midsummer, the island's peak season, could be problematic.
If the Vuelta 2026 really does start on Mallorca, it would be a return after almost 30 years. The last time the Tour of Spain was a guest was in 1998. Back then, a flat stage around Palma and an individual time trial around Alcudia were organised. The flat stage was won by Fabrizio Guido, Abraham Olano won the individual time trial and later became the overall winner of the Vuelta.
Vuelta start in Lisbon in 2024
Next year, the Vuelta a Espana will start in Lisbon. The capital of Portugal was already the starting point for the Tour of Spain in 1997, although this was a first: never before had the Vuelta started abroad. The entire route of the 79th edition of the Grand Tour will be unveiled on 19 December. However, it is already clear that it will traditionally end in Madrid.
A venue for the anniversary edition in 2025 is already being highly touted: Monaco could be the start venue for the 80th edition of the Vuelta. This would mean that the Tour of Spain would start abroad two years in a row.
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
