The big departure of the 2026 edition of the Tour of Italy may well take place, this time, in Bulgaria, after Albania this year.
A new country for the big departure of the Tour of Italy? After Hungary in 2022 then Albania this year, in 2026, the Giro, won this year by the British Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease A Bike), this time could start in Bulgaria. Indeed, according to some media, such as the specialized website
CyclingThe Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism has announced that it has obtained the national government agreement in order to be able to finalize negotiations with RCS Sport, which is none other than the organizer of the first major road cycling round of the year.
The Tour of Italy thus continues to export, after a “big Partenza” from Hungary in 2022 or even this year from Albania. If this project was materialized, then a total of three stages would take place within this same country, before a transfer to Italy. Bulgaria is clearly not a major nation of cycling. Despite everything, the organization of such an event could well change certain things, at this level, in the country, and thus allow it to further develop this discipline.
A step ahead of Bulgaria?
Such an announcement comes, despite everything, in a more than complex context. Indeed, this Tuesday, the Union International Cycling (UCI) announced the suspension, for a period of two years, for serious breaches in ethics, of Evgeniy Balev Gerganov but also of Danail Petrov Angelov. The latter are simply the two main current leaders of the Bulgarian Cycling Federation. The two men also received fines of up to 10,000 Swiss francs. A change at the head of the ruling body of this sport in the country could thus allow an advance in discussions with the organizers of the Giro. Especially since, so far, it is the Italian city of Trieste that was expected to welcome the big departure of the next edition.
