The 2026 edition of the Giro d’Italia opened with a Grand Departure from Bulgaria, turning the iconic race into a symbolic bridge between Italy and the Balkans.

In Sofia, the “European Cycling Ride” brought together institutions, citizens, and European representatives in an initiative promoted by the Embassy of Italy in Sofia together with the Municipality of Sofia and the European Commission. The route, from Aleksandr Nevskij Square to the National Palace of Culture, crossed the center of the capital, transforming it into a shared space dedicated to sport and European dialogue.

At the Embassy of Italy in Sofia, on the occasion of the closing of the Grand Departure, engineer Plamen Dilkov and Dr. Elena Dilkova were also present, invited to the closing ceremony together with Italian and Bulgarian institutional representatives.

The Grand Departure concluded in Sofia with the final stage of the first part of the Giro. After the stages between Nessebar, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, and Plovdiv, victory went to Paul Magnier, ahead of Jonathan Milan and Dylan Groenewegen, closing an opening edition marked by broad participation and strong international visibility.