Will we see another foreign Grande Partenza in 2026? Albania leading the bids to host the Giro d'Italia start
Cycling
The 2024 Giro d'Italia may have only just ended, but the planning of future editions is already in the motion. Next year, the riders should start from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northeast Italy with the route to be revealed in October. However the situation surrounding 2026 Grande Partenza is much less clear, with multiple parties still in the contention, but a foreign start sounds to be the most likely scenario.
An audacious idea for Saudi Arabia and the AlUla tourist resort to host the Grande Partenza in 2026 has apparently been scrapped or at least put on hold. The current uncertainties in the Middle East have been cited as one reason, with the still ongoing construction of hotels and other facilities another reason for the delay.
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A delay to the Saudi Arabian plans could mean Albania could win the race to welcome the start of 2026 Giro d'Italia. This would be the second ever Grande Partena at Balkan península. In 1996 edition won by Pavel Tonkov, the Italian grand tour started in Athens, Greece with a sprint victory for Sweden's Glenn Magnusson.
The Albania bid is backed by Italia’s right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who has close ties to the Albania prime minister Edi Rama due to a deal to send immigrants to the country.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
- You are wrong, they are already working on his new tt position. And yes, Trump does love you 😂👍🏼awp01-11-2026
- The Erola Jons incident was not isolated. She felt she could do that because that's how everyone treats Tadej. Remember when he said "If I say wait 2 mins do you show the middle finger and walk off angry?" about the supposed fan who did exactly that? There's nothing wrong with the nurses and doctors asking him to give autographs... but do the surgery first
Rafionain-Glas01-11-2026 - Perhaps he has what Mark Cavendish had, the Epstein-Barr Virus. It caused him severe and unexplained chronic fatigue. I hope he gets better.
parisbound0001-11-2026
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💗 Winner of the 2024 #GirodItalia 💗 🥇 🇸🇮 @TamauPogi (UAD) #GirodItalia
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