site.btaPM, Ministers Attend Giro d'Italia Route Presentation in Rome, as Bulgaria Hosts Opening, First Three Stages in May 2026

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov leaves for Rome, where on Monday the route of the Giro d'Italia, one of the two largest and most prestigious cycling races in the world, of which Bulgaria is co-organizer in 2026, will be presented.

The 109th edition of the Giro d’Italia kicks off with its Grande Partenza in Bulgaria on Friday, 8 May 2026. Bulgaria will host the first three stages, including the official opening, which is traditionally one of the most attended sporting events worldwide. Details about the stages will be revealed at Monday’s official route announcement. The Giro concludes on Sunday 31 May, most likely in Rome.

Two ministers are also part of the Bulgarian delegation in Rome, Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh and Youth and Sports Minister Ivan Peshev. The three top officials will address the participants at the route presentation ceremony, which will be held at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone.

Bulgaria has never hosted such a large scale cycling race. The Giro d'Italia gathers a live audience of between 2 and 3 million people each year, as well as tens of millions of TV viewers around the world. 23 teams with eight cyclists each compete in the three-week race, which covers more than 3,000 kilometers before reaching the finish in Rome.

The Council of Ministers at its regular meeting, earlier this week, adopted a decision to hold the Giro d'Italia in Bulgaria. The Youth and Sports Minister and the Tourism Minister will sign a contract with the exclusive rights holders for the race, RCS Sport S.p.A and RCS Sports & Events S.r.l.