A historic first for the Giro d'Italia : the 109th edition of 2026 will start in Bulgaria, with three stages taking place in the Balkan nation following official approval from the Bulgarian government. The news comes from the country's media.

The race, scheduled for May 9-31, may start a day earlier to facilitate the transfer from Bulgaria to Italy. The Grand Departure is scheduled for the capital, Sofia, with possible stops along the Black Sea coast before the transfer to Italy by air and road.

Bulgarian Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh said: "The government supported the proposal of the two ministries to finalize negotiations to host this prestigious sporting event. The Giro d'Italia will put our country on the global tourism map and make Bulgaria a recognizable destination."

The announcement comes at a particular time for Bulgarian cycling, following the recent two-year suspension of Federation President Evgeniy Balev Gerganov and Vice-President Danail Petrov Angelov by the UCI for abuse of authority and conflict of interest.

RCS Sport has yet to officially confirm Bulgaria as the host of the 2026 Grand Departure, pending the conclusion of final negotiations. Bulgaria has beaten out several other nations, including Abu Dhabi and, according to rumors, even Saudi Arabia.

For context, the 2025 Giro d'Italia started in Albania, following the tradition of international starts that in recent years have included Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Albania reportedly invested approximately €10 million to secure the rights to the Giro d'Italia start.

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