Bulgaria to Host Opening Three Stages of 2026 Giro d’Italia

Posted : 03 December 2025

Bulgaria has been selected to host the first three stages of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, organisers RCS confirmed on Monday. The three-week Grand Tour, scheduled for May 9–31, will once again conclude in Rome. This marks the 16th time the Giro will begin outside Italy and the second consecutive foreign start, following Albania’s hosting duties for the 2025 edition won by Britain’s Simon Yates.

Yates, speaking about the possibility of returning to defend his title, said that no final decision had been made within his team. “There are still discussions ongoing about whether I’ll race next year, but I’d love to defend the title,” he told reporters. “I would really like to be there, but ultimately it’s not my decision.”

The Giro has increasingly looked beyond Italy’s borders in recent years, with seven foreign starts since 2010, including Jerusalem in 2018.

The 2026 route will begin along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coastline, taking riders from Nessebar to Burgas. Stage two will present a 220km challenge to Veliko Tarnovo, known historically as the “City of the Tsars,” featuring three category-three climbs. The third stage will cover 174km between Plovdiv and the capital, Sofia, with riders facing a long category-two ascent toward the Borovets Pass.

After leaving Bulgaria, the race will return to Italy for a demanding fourth stage from Catanzaro to Cosenza. From there, the Giro will wind its way north through increasingly mountainous terrain before the winner of the maglia rosa is ultimately decided in the high Alps.

In total, riders will tackle 3,458km with a punishing 50,000 metres of elevation gain. Nearly 8,700 metres of climbing will be concentrated in the decisive 19th and 20th stages. Stage 19, designated the Queen Stage, includes six categorised climbs, 5,000 metres of elevation gain, and a summit finish in Alleghe after crossing the race’s highest point at Passo Giau. The penultimate stage will run 199km from Gemona del Friuli and feature two category-one climbs to Piancavallo—offering a final chance for contenders to fight for the pink jersey before the ceremonial finish in Rome.

The women’s Giro will begin on May 30 in Cesenatico and will run over nine stages, concluding on June 7 in Saluzzo, near the French border. Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini, who has claimed the last two editions, is set to defend her title in a race that now includes an additional stage. Riders will cover 1,153.7km and 12,500 metres of climbing, with a standout feature being a 12.7km mountain time trial between Belluno and Nevegal on stage four.

Bulgaria to Host Opening Three Stages of 2026 Giro d’Italia

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