site.btaOver 200,000 Attend Giro d'Italia Finish in Sofia, Mayor Says

More than 200,000 people attended the finish of the Giro d'Italia in Sofia, while more than 25,000 cyclists, including children, rode along Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard during the day, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said as he welcomed the riders at the finish of the race's third and final Bulgarian stage.

"It turned into an incredible event that exceeded my expectations," Terziev said. According to him, the organizers described it as one of the strongest editions of the race ever held outside Italy.

The mayor expressed hope that Bulgaria would continue improving as a host of major sporting events and said Sofia would make significant progress in developing cycling infrastructure, adding that the event had shown there is strong public interest in cycling.

"We can be very proud. This is the result of the hundreds of thousands of people across Bulgaria who came out and showed their support, because a country is its people. We showed not only our history and nature, but also the Bulgarian spirit," Terziev added.