Bulgaria to host Giro d'Italia start in 2026
Bulgaria will host the opening three stages of the Giro d'Italia in 2026, as the country has been selected for the prestigious Grande Partenza, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh announced during a joint briefing with Bulgarian Sports Minister Ivan Peshev, whilst race organiser R.C.S, has yet to make the formal announcement.
The Bulgarian government has approved finalising negotiations for hosting one of cycling's biggest events, beating several other countries that competed for the honour. "This is an event that changes the host country," said Borshosh in a government press release on Wednesday. "The Giro d'Italia puts our country on the world tourism map and makes Bulgaria a recognisable destination."
The 2026 Giro stages in Bulgaria will span the country, with the race passing through parts of Bulgaria which haven't been showcased on an international scale by providing significant exposure and development opportunities for local communities throughout the nation.
"The Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria will take place in 2026 and will include dozens of municipalities, which is exceptional for their development," Borshosh added.
While specific dates, routes and budget details will be announced later in due course, the event represents a major coup for Bulgarian tourism and sports. The additional benefits for Bulgaria's image are expected to be enormous, according to the Tourism Minister.
Over the past five years, the trend of the Giro beginning outside of Italian soil has gradually been increasing after following previous foreign grande partenza's in the 2020's including Hungary in 2022 and Albania in 2025, dotted around the staple home grande partenza's.
