The Tour of Lanzarote, another way to enjoy road cycling
Less than 48 hours before the start, the 2026 Lanzarote Cycling Tour has brought together several of its protagonists around an idea that defines a good part of the project promoted by Club La Santa: there are times to compete, but also to lift your head, share kilometers and enjoy cycling again.
Carlos Verona, Omar Fraile, Luis Pasamontes, Anita González, Marta Álvarez and Elynor Backstedt participated this Thursday in the talk prior to the third edition, which will be held on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 of October.
The race will once again traverse all seven municipalities of Lanzarote, covering 189 kilometers over two days. During the event, the organizers estimated that around 500 cyclists from 24 countries would participate.
The format is one of the keys: the Tour has a cyclotourism character and a good part of the route is done in a group, but it incorporates three timed sectors for those who want to challenge themselves and measure themselves on the bicycle.
Fabio Cabrera and a Vuelta built around Lanzarote
Fabio Cabrera, director of the Club La Santa race , explained during the meeting the idea behind an event that in just three editions has sought to integrate the route and the participant's experience with the island itself.
"There's a great team behind this that makes it possible. We're very proud to be the only race in the Canary Islands that passes through every municipality on an island ," Cabrera said.
But the plan goes beyond simply crossing Lanzarote from one end to the other.
During the talk, Cabrera focused on the connection between sport and tourism . The regrouping points, the routes through different locations on the island, and the very format of the walk are all designed to ensure that the participant's experience goes beyond simply covering kilometers.
As the race director explained, those who want to push themselves will have three timed sections to do so. Outside of these, the suggestion is to rejoin the group and use the bicycle as a way to explore and discover Lanzarote.
Organizing an event of this nature also requires coordinating institutions, seven municipalities, suppliers, workers and volunteers, a collective effort that Cabrera considers fundamental to maintaining the concept of the event.
Carlos Verona: "Enjoying cycling in its purest form"
The cyclists' interventions ended up reinforcing that philosophy.
Carlos Verona , a runner from Lidl-Trek and participant in previous editions, explained what he finds in Lanzarote every time he returns to the race.
"The Tour of Lanzarote is about enjoying cycling in its purest form; it's about maintaining and finding the balance between competing and enjoying your passion ."
For a professional cyclist in the middle of the season, the context is unusual. Verona explained that here he can stay on his bike, but also chat with other participants, enjoy the island, and find a way to disconnect within the sport itself.
Professionals and amateurs will thus share a good part of the route without each kilometer being conditioned by a ranking.
Omar Fraile: rediscovering the reason to ride a bicycle
Omar Fraile, former professional cyclist , stage winner in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia and Spanish road race champion in 2021, took the conversation to a more personal level.
After ending his professional career at the end of 2025, Fraile explained how the years of maximum demand ended up changing his relationship with the bicycle.
"I had lost sight of why I was a cyclist. I decided not to go to many competitive events precisely because I had lost sight of why I did cycling; now I increasingly prefer cycle touring ," he admitted.
During the talk he also delved into some of the demands of current professional cycling, although his presence in Lanzarote now responds to a different quest: to pedal again without the result determining the entire experience.
Luis Pasamontes: "When we go all out, we miss out on a lot of things."
Luis Pasamontes , who has participated in the two previous editions, left one of the reflections that best connects the concept of the test with any amateur cyclist.
"This is everything I wanted to experience after turning pro. When we're going full speed ahead, we miss out on so much , so this event is the perfect opportunity to lift our heads and enjoy our surroundings, talk to our colleagues, and soak up the atmosphere."
Pasamontes added that when all the attention is focused on power, rhythm or performance, it becomes much more difficult to look up and enjoy what is happening around you.
In the Vuelta, he explained, a good part of the experience lies precisely there: meeting people within the peloton, talking with cyclists from the island and discovering the territory while pedaling.
Anita González: Discovering a place by bicycle
Anita González shares that way of understanding cycle tourism.
After participating in the 2025 edition, he explained that he is returning for an experience that combines cycling, scenery, people, and gastronomy.
During the talk, he pointed out that cycling has allowed him to discover places and meet people while practicing sport, and he especially highlighted how different it is to cycle through the volcanic landscape of Lanzarote.
He also praised the work done to support the participants: "The organization couldn't be better because everything is incredible. They pamper us in every way, and that's something to be grateful for."
Marta Álvarez and the leap to the first cyclotourist march
Marta Álvarez , who recently participated in the 4 Stage MTB Race of Club La Santa, introduced another issue during the conversation: the barriers that some women still feel before participating in a cycling tour.
Among them is a very specific doubt: not knowing if they will be at the necessary level.
For Álvarez, the Lanzarote format can help reduce that pressure.
"This is the perfect test for female cyclists to make their debut in cyclotourism events without feeling pressured by times or other demands ," she explained.
The timed sections allow anyone who wants to compete to do so, but prevent that requirement from completely dominating the two days.
Elynor Backstedt, back in Lanzarote
British athlete Elynor Backstedt offered another perspective. She has known Club La Santa for years and has also chosen Lanzarote to complete the final part of her training.
"The weather is great, the people are very friendly, so I'm really excited to be filming and finishing my last few weeks of training here," she said.
His presence completes a group in which professional cyclists, former racers and amateurs will coexist within the same peloton during these days.
A stretch where the goal will be to stay together.
The philosophy of this edition will also have a concrete expression in the so-called Solidarity Section.
After the Guayo Rodríguez Regrouping, at San José Castle, the peloton will face a sector in which riding together will have a direct impact on the contribution that the organization will make to a local charity.
The approach fits with the philosophy explained during the talk: reserving spaces to compete, but also others where the goal is precisely to stay together.
At Triathlon News we have already reviewed the main names announced for the 2026 Lanzarote Cycling Tour and the key aspects of this third edition.
Saturday will be the day to start cycling. And, as Pasamontes summarized during the talk, " when we go all out, we miss a lot of things ."
The Lanzarote Cycling Tour has the support of La Santa, Cabildo de Lanzarote and Turismo Lanzarote, Turismo de Islas Canarias and the Government of the Canary Islands, along with the municipalities of Tías, Arrecife, Teguise, Yaiza, San Bartolomé, Haría and Tinajo, as well as CACT Lanzarote, the Canary Cycling Federation and the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation.
This support is further endorsed by brands linked to the development of the event such as 226ERS, specializing in sports nutrition , hydration and recovery; Cabrera Medina Rent a Car, a vehicle rental company with a large presence in Lanzarote; and Coca-Cola, one of the soft drink brands with the greatest international presence.
The event further reinforces its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection in Lanzarote thanks to a collaboration with ECOBY, which is providing a system designed to significantly reduce plastic use during the event. To this end, water stations are set up at the start and finish areas of each stage, contributing to a more responsible and respectful competition that takes advantage of the island's unique volcanic landscape.
