2026 Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria? Eastern European nation announces shocking twist

The Giro d'Italia is expanding and over recent years it has on two occasions began in Central or Eastern European nations that don't border with Italy: Hungary and Albania. It might come as a very big surprise but the 2026 edition may be on the brink of starting in Bulgaria after an announcement from the country's own Ministry of Tourism.

The country has had some unusual Grande Partenza's over the past few years, all of them in nations that are not close. The Netherlands have hosted it in 2010 and 2016; the United Kingdom hosted it in 2014; In 2018 the World Tour peloton flew to Israel and now in the 2020's we've had Hungary and most recently this spring Albania. Taking into consideration the experiences with foreign starts to the race, Bulgaria would not come as a massive surprise due to it's geography but rather due to small space it occupies in the international cycling scene.

But as was the case with Albania, this may not stop it. It had been strongly suggested that the 2026 edition was going to start in the Italian city of Trieste but the plans may have changed. The Bulgarian ministers of Tourism and Sports Miroslav Borshov and Ivan Peshev have in a joint briefing announced that they had received support from the Bulgarian government to finalize the negotiations to host the Giro - in what would be a three-day stint in the country.

Surprisingly, the announcement comes the day after the UCI has mandated a suspension and heavy fines for both the president and vice-president of the Bulgarian Cycling Federation Evengiy Balev Gerganov and Danail Petrov Angelov. The two were removed from their position over charges of breaching general principles, protection of physical and mental intergry; and conflicts of interest. The fact that the announcement followed the UCI-issued press release may mean that it was a pre-requirement for the negotiations to continue. Both were banned from holding any position in the organization for two years as well as being fined 10.000CHF and 5000CHF respectively.