FITUR once again highlights the synergy between cycling and tourism, with the Canary Islands, Ibiza, Malta and Oliva

The 2024 edition of FITUR has once again highlighted the importance of the sporting phenomenon within tourism, and cycling is one of its main exponents, as well as one of its best promotional channels. A great example of this is the Gran Fondo Alberto Contador at Oliva, an event that was officially presented to the public once again at the fair. The event annually brings together thousands of cyclists in the regions of La Safor and La Marina Baja.

Alberto Contador highlighted the importance of cycling in terms of sponsorship to “make a lot of branding”. A synergy between tourism promotion and cycling competition, which he defended during his visit to the Malta Tourism stand. The Mediterranean archipelago, through ‘Visit Malta’ is one of the sponsors of Team Polti-Kometa in the ProTeam category, the second step of professional cycling. “I think Spain has more than enough capacity, it has great companies to enter into a cycling project and I am sure that whoever enters will stay for a long time. We already know the profitability, euro invested and return, of cycling and I think it is an unbeatable showcase”.

The cyclist from Madrid is also one of the people in charge of promoting the Canary Islands as a training destination for professional and semi-professional athletes and sports structures. Canary Islands Tourism has prepared a promotional campaign to be broadcast during the Olympic Games in Paris and in which, in addition to Contador, who has spent many hours both on the island of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the Hungarian Katinka Hosszu, three-time Olympic swimming champion and world record holder, and the British athlete Iwan Thomas, world champion with Team GB and Olympic medallist, are also taking part. “I believe in the suitability of the islands for cycling training,” says Contador, “it’s the best stage there is, I would dare say at world level, to prepare for great objectives. The Canary Islands “have a series of conditions that are extremely important for preparation”.

Contador was also present at the facilities in the Balearic Islands. There he attended an event related to sporting activities in Ibiza, which included the presentation of the Vuelta Cicloturista a Ibiza (in 2024, 5 and 6 October), a race in which he was present in the twentieth edition in the company of some riders from the U23 structure sponsored by his Foundation under the direction of Rafa Díaz Justo, and the Vuelta a Ibiza mountain bike race, of which he will be one of its ambassadors and which will be held between 29 and 31 March. “I already had the opportunity to be in the Vuelta a few years ago and for me it is a privilege to be part of this great family”, he says.