The organization of the Vuelta Playa Handbike, led by the Yaiza City Council, presented this Monday the thirteenth edition "of an internationally impactful event that is already a benchmark for adapted sports in Lanzarote and the Canary Islands," as expressed by the mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda.
The mayor appeared at a press conference together with the Sports Councilor of Yaiza, Ángel Lago, the managing director of Turismo Lanzarote and CEO of the Foreign Promotion Society of the Island, Héctor Fernández, and the head of the Lanzarote sin Barreras Association, José Ángel Vázquez, entities committed to the event, which this year also includes the Para todos Lanza en Canarias Association, represented by Pierre Amighini, who also promotes sports for everyone regardless of any disability.
On Friday, February 10th at 3:00 p.m. will be the prologue with an individual time trial of 7.5 kilometers, on the LZ-701 road, between the town of La Hoya, near Salinas de Janubio, to the entrance to Playa Blanca, while on Saturday the 11th, the Vuelta a Playa Blanca is planned on an urban circuit through the center of the tourist town, with the novelty in this edition compared to the previous 12 years that the start will be given in the afternoon, at 4:00 p.m., to encourage greater attendance of spectators and thereby favor the movement of local businesses.
The Saturday circuit is 55 minutes and the athlete in each category who completes the most laps in that time wins. There are five categories in male and female depending on the degree of disability, thus, "the Handbike is a test that symbolizes sport, willpower and spirit of overcoming," noted the representative of the Lanzarote sin Barreras Association.
For his part, the Sports Councilor of Yaiza stressed that "this year we have increased the municipal commitment to Handbike because our goal is to give it even greater international projection than it already has. Without a doubt, when handbike is talked about in Europe, the name of Playa Blanca comes to the fore."
Sport also carries a social objective and, in the words of Héctor Fernández, "if Lanzarote is committed to sustainable tourism, being inclusive is also being sustainable." The director of Turismo Lanzarote added that "our strategy is also sport, but sport for everyone. Few destinations are as sensitive as Lanzarote, it is an extraordinary work that comes from the union of work and resources."
The mayor of Yaiza stressed that "we continue to be pioneers in sport and inclusive sport with a strong component in the tourism promotion of our municipality thanks to the effort and conviction of the City Council and inter-administrative collaboration, fundamental in all areas of municipal management." Playa Blanca is ready for the Handbike show.
