The Canary Islands: A garden of Eden for athletes training for the Tour de France and Olympics

The 2024 Tour de France has just started. Among the peloton, many riders, including a few title contenders, trained in the same place: the Canary Islands.

The Spanish archipelago’s reputation is well established, both for regular tourism as well as for the quality of its sports infrastructure. From Tenerife to Lanzarote, let’s take a look at the thousand ways that the famous destination can outdo itself.

People don’t just come to the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean, to tan, enjoy the fresh air and bathe in clear water. For many years the archipelago has welcomed athletes from around the world to the four corners of its islands.

Here, both professionals and amateurs are sure to find idyllic conditions to prepare for a big event or to take part in international events on the islands.

A true champion magnet, the archipelago seems to have been blessed by the Gods with natural resources to satisfy every sporting desire.

With an average temperature of 23 degrees in the summer and 19 degrees in the winter, the Canaries offer an outdoor training paradise year round. And under the sun as well, which typically shines for 4800 hours a year.

The incredibly diverse terrain also plays a part, from 1500 kilometres of coastline to high-altitude mountains, all types of terrain can be found in this little paradise. So it’s no coincidence that in the winter so many professional cycling teams cycle along the steep roads of the legendary Teide National Park in order to prepare, among other things, for the Tour de France.

It’s not uncommon to encounter cycling superstars like Chris Froome, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. Alberto Contador, two-time Tour de France winner, has trained in the Canaries for many years, as its average altitude, 1800 metres above sea level, allows him to train in hypoxic conditions.

“To work on resistance you should climb El Teide from Los Christianos”, suggested the Spaniard. “It’s a climb from sea level up to 2300 metres. This type of route is very difficult to find elsewhere.”

The Madrid-born champion perfectly summed up the preparation conditions he has found on these islands: “You don’t need to check the weather to adjust your training, but do so according to your needs.”

Professional cyclists aren’t the only ones who can benefit from such exceptional outdoor conditions. The stars of the sports world also flock to the archipelago to compete in prestigious competitions such as the Transgrancanaria, the Tenerife Blue-Trail by UTMB and the Transvulcania in La Palma (Trail), the Ironman Lanzarote (Triathlon), the Gran Canaria marathon and even the wind-surf and kite-surf world championships in Fuerteventura.

In this respect, the Lanzarote sailing spot deserves its own focus. In light of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, no less than 500 sailors, coaches and physical trainers, from 36 different countries, have taken over the famous bay.

All the sailors, potential future gold medallists (of the 30 medals given out at the Tokyo Olympics, 21 were won by teams who trained on the archipelago) praise the area as an “idyllic place with consistent winds,” and even “an exceptional marine life with turtles and flying fish.”

However, the Canary Islands attract athletes not just for their natural beauty. The infrastructure has long since adapted to the topology of the region. With over 30 high-level sports centres, without counting the numerous recovery and physiotherapy centres, the archipelago can accommodate 3000 athletes at any given time.

That’s why nations such as Italy, which established its training grounds here, were able to reap the benefits in athletics with Marcel Jacobs, who won gold in Tokyo in the 100 metres. “When it’s winter in Italy, I look forward to coming to Tenerife to train,” said the Italian champion. ‘The track at the Antonio Dominguez Alfonso stadium is wonderful, like all the centre’s services’.

Such praise also applies to the swimming pools, which are real golden pools for swimmers. Italy, again, doesn’t regret sending its men’s team here as they have since won everything (13 gold medals, 13 silver and 9 bronze in the last European championships).

Loyal to Tenerife’s Top Training aquatic centre since 2018, Alessandro Miressi doesn’t regret his choice: “It’s a great place to train because you feel good, it’s pleasant, the facilities are superb, it’s the ideal place for swimmers to practise in optimal conditions.”

Katinka Hosszu, the famous Hungarian swimmer who trained in Lanzarote, agrees: “It’s a really relaxing place, especially when there’s a lot of pressure when preparing for a big competition,” said the three-time Olympic gold medal winner and nine-time world champion.