Bulgaria announces plans to host Giro start in 2026, one day after UCI suspends president of Bulgarian cycling federation

Bulgaria is more than 400 kilometers from Italy, as the crow flies. Between the two countries lies the Adriatic Sea, as well as North Macedonia and Albania, where the Giro started with three stages in its previous edition. It will be the first time the race visits the southern European country. The country does not have a great cycling culture: several one-day races are held each year, but there is no Tour of Bulgaria.

The Minister of Tourism, Miroslav Borsjosj, together with the Minister of Sport, Ivan Pesjev, officially announced the decision in the Bulgarian Council of Ministers. “Today, the government supported the proposal of the two ministries to finalize negotiations on the organization of this prestigious sporting event,” said the Bulgarian politician. “The Giro d'Italia puts our country on the world map of tourism and makes Bulgaria a recognizable destination.”

“The Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria will take place in 2026 and will pass through dozens of municipalities, which is exceptional for their development,” Minister Borsjosj concluded. As in Albania this year, Bulgaria will host three stages of the Giro. Where these will be held is not yet clear. It will be the third time that the Giro d'Italia begins outside Italy for the second year in a row. However, the previous two times were different: in 1966, the race started in Monaco, but the year before that, it began in San Marino, the tiny state within Italy; in 1973, the start was in Belgium, and a year later, the race started in Vatican City.

A special footnote to the announcement is that last Tuesday, the UCI suspended the president and vice president of the Bulgarian cycling federation for two years. Evgeniy Gerganov and Danail Petrov were found guilty of ‘abuse of authority’ and allegedly wanted to turn the Bulgarian federation into a dictatorship, obstructing opponents and putting their own interests above the rules. Both men were therefore also fined heavily (10,000 and 5,000 Swiss francs).