The Lanzarote Cycling Tour, the first cyclotourism event included in the official UCI race calendar to tour the entire island, was presented at an event held this midday in the Islote de Fermina.
Club La Santa and the Lanzarote Council, the organizers, have brought together more than 60 guests at the presentation, including numerous political representatives from the Canary Islands, heads of public and sports entities from Lanzarote, the mayors of the island's municipalities, and leaders of various companies linked to the sector.
This event brings together a group of world-class ambassadors. Alberto Contador, winner of the three major tours; Alejandro Valverde, champion of the Vuelta a España and the World Road Race; Carlos Verona, who finished in the top 25 of the last Tour de France; Lourdes Oyarbide, cyclist for the Laboral Kutxa team; and Luis Pasamontes, former professional cyclist, form a top-level cast and will participate in the event, allowing the rest of the participants the unique opportunity to ride alongside them.
Ángel Sabroso, Deputy Minister of Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, opened the event by emphasizing that "what we presented months ago at the Higher Sports Council has become a reality. It is a real luxury for the Canary Islands that the first Lanzarote Cycling Tour is of this level."
Jacobo Medina, Vice President of the Lanzarote Council, began his speech by underlining his "gratitude for the organization of a sporting event that is here to stay and that will take place in all the municipalities of the island, also thanks for the connection that Club La Santa has had with the town halls."
On behalf of Club La Santa, co-organizer of the event, Michael Möller, Director of Sports, stated that "The Lanzarote Cycling Tour is born with a clear objective: to offer an entertaining and attractive event for local cyclists, as well as to promote cycling among the new generations. From Club La Santa we want to maximize active life and make it a priority for the entire island."
Juan Monzón, the Councilor for Sports of the Council, assured that "it is a pride and a reason for excitement that amateur cyclists can participate in the Lanzarote Cycling Tour sharing with cyclists of international character, where the main objective is the advancement of sports on our island."
From the perspective of Héctor Fernández, CEO of Tourism of Lanzarote, "a test of this caliber was missing, a test that integrates the seven municipalities and that is sponsored by Alberto Contador or Alejandro Valverde, who have a universal relevance. That has an extraordinary importance, we have to show off in the sports and tourism field."
After these initial speeches, Fabio Cabrera, Race Director of Club La Santa, held a debate with the ambassadors of the event. Cabrera claimed that "we started more than two years ago with this idea; all this is possible thanks to the synergy between the seven town halls, the Council, the Government of the Canary Islands and the support and affection of private companies."
Alberto Contador highlighted that "this event goes beyond sports, it is something social, that children can see that cyclists who have been role models practice sports can make them start cycling." Alejandro Valverde insisted that "we have the opportunity to enjoy with all the fans, to be able to regroup, to push, to chat. In any other sport that is very difficult, so tomorrow and the day after tomorrow are going to be days to enjoy a lot." In addition, Carlos Verona stated that "here you can breathe a sporting atmosphere. I am very happy to be able to be in this first Lanzarote Cycling Tour and I think that is the magic of these events, they make cycling a special sport."
Regarding women's cycling, Lourdes Oyarbide acknowledged that "I have been able to experience the evolution of the last ten years in professional cycling, we are becoming more and more professional and on the road, it is a pleasure to go out to train and meet more women." For his part, Luis Pasamontes took the opportunity to remind that "let's be prudent and conservative, we have to arrive with a good face. This is cycling for everyone, we are going to be able to have all the rhythms and meet in the refreshment areas, which is also what seduces me about this event."
The Lanzarote Cycling Tour, a milestone in the paradise of cycling
The Lanzarote Cycling Tour kicks off with its first edition this weekend. The event, organized by Club La Santa and the Lanzarote Council, will be the first cyclotourism march included in the official event calendar of the International Cycling Union (UCI) to tour the entire island, as its route will visit the seven municipalities of the island. More than 500 cyclists from 25 countries will participate in this debut.
The cyclists will travel a total of 190 kilometers in the two stages of the event: 115 in the queen stage of the first day, with 1,700 meters of positive elevation gain, and 74 kilometers in the second stage, with 1,000 meters of positive elevation gain. Club La Santa will place various refreshment points and spectator areas along the route where participants and their companions can enjoy areas with music, food and drink, in a festive and relaxed atmosphere that will take the event's entourage to visit the seven municipalities of Lanzarote.
The Lanzarote Cycling Tour aims to promote the use of bicycles and active and sustainable tourism, as well as contribute to further positioning the island as one of the reference destinations for all lovers of cycling and active life. Its concept, the environment of Lanzarote and the experience of Club La Santa as organizer of major national and international sporting events have led the UCI to include the event in its official calendar, in the "Cycling for All" program, which promotes cyclosportive events and promotes the use of bicycles in everyday life.
The event has the support of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Lanzarote Council, Lanzarote Sports Destination by Turismo Lanzarote and the seven town halls of the island's municipalities: Arrecife, Haría, San Bartolomé, Teguise, Tías, Tinajo and Yaiza, as well as the support of the Canary and Spanish Cycling Federations.
You can follow the march this Saturday live through the Club La Santa YouTube channel.
