While a dispute exists between the teams and the Giro organizing company over the financial compensation linked to the trip to Bulgaria for the Grand Départ of the 2026 edition, the plans initially planned could be threatened.
The Giro never hesitates to surprise. After moving its Grand Départ to Israel or Hungary, the leaders of the organizing company RCS Sport have set their sights on Bulgaria. Thus, the candidates for the pink jersey must set off on May 8 from the shores of the Black Sea for three days in the country concluded with an arrival in the streets of Sofia for the 3rd stage. But doubt seems to arise over the plans of the organizers of the Tour of Italy. Indeed, according to information from the specialized site Escape collectivea dispute would exist between the teams having to participate in the event and RCS Sport with the stumbling block being compensation for additional expenses linked to the relocation of the Grand Départ.
This concerns the trip to Bulgaria then the return to Italy during the first day of rest scheduled for May 11.
This involves a payment of 115,000 euros for each of the teams involved. to which is added the cost of plane tickets up to 5,000 euros for flights departing from and arriving at Burgas airport. Through the International Association of Professional Cycling Groups (AIGCP), the teams would have issued a counter-proposal to the tune of 160,000 euros which would not have received the expected response from the Giro organizers. In a gesture of appeasement, the latter would have put on the table compensation increased to reach 125,000 euros per team.
The UCI could intervene
Except that the professional teams would have rejected this new proposal with a prolonged impasse. Added to this is a political factor with the Bulgarian government which recently resigned. Asked by Escape collectivejournalist Simon Kichukov spoke of the fact that a new government “will probably support the start of the Giro, but perhaps not with the same enthusiasm as the previous one”.
The financial dispute between the teams and RCS Sport could be resolved through the intervention of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) through its Professional Cycling Council, able to resolve disputes of this nature. Which could save the plans of the Giro organizers to launch the 109th edition from Bulgaria.
