The Great Departure of the Giro d’Italia 2026expected in Bulgaria with the first three stages, it ended up at the center of a heated confrontation between organizers and teams, aggravated by an internal political situation that was anything but stable. Reporting it is Escapewhich speaks of a climate of uncertainty around the expected start onMay 8th in Nessebaron the Black Sea.
The crux of travel costs
The first critical front concerns i travel costs for the teams. The distance from Bulgaria to Italy involves very high logistical costs, also because the teams have to prepare a double structure of personnel and means: one for the Bulgarian stages and one already operational in Italy for the continuation of the race. For some formations, such as Visma | Lease a Bikethe distance between Nessebar and the logistics headquarters exceeds 2,500 kilometers.
Typically, a departure abroad involves economic compensation for teams. In this case, however, the figure proposed by RCS Sport was deemed insufficient. THE’AIGCPthe association representing professional teams, has requested a contribution from 160.000 euro. RCS responded first with an offer from 115.000 euroaccompanied by a WizzAir voucher from 5,000 euros per and loves are burgasand subsequently with a proposal from 125.000 euro. Both were rejected.
In the absence of an agreement, the matter could be referred to Professional Cycling Councilthe body that acts as the “parliament” of professional cycling.
Political instability in Bulgaria
To make the picture even more complex there is the Bulgarian political situation. In early December the government fell after weeks of demonstrations against corruption and a controversial budget law. The elections should not be held before March and it is not clear whether the next executive, interim or definitive, will guarantee the same economic and institutional support at the start of the Giro.
The Bulgarian journalist Simon Kichukov, again according to what Escape reports, he explained that support from a new government is also likely, but not necessarily with the enthusiasm and commitment of the previous administration.
The scenario is complex, but the start is currently not in danger
RCS has not made any official comments on the matter. At the same time, it is retained unlikely that the teams end up boycotting the start, and at the moment the Grande Partenza does not appear to be in real danger.
However, it remains evident how the combination between economic tensions, challenging logistics e geopolitical instability transformed the Bulgarian departure of the Giro d’Italia 2026 in a delicate topic, destined to remain under observation in the coming weeks.
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