With less than 24 hours to go before the start of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, all Bulgarian cities along the route are preparing to host the major sporting event.
The first three stages of the Giro d’Italia will take place in Bulgaria, with riders covering a total distance of 541 kilometres. The race will begin in Nessebar on Friday and conclude in Sofia on Sunday.
Bulgarian National Television will broadcast all three stages live.
Stage details in Bulgaria
The first stage starts on 8 May at 14:10 in Nessebar, heading towards Burgas. The entire route will be closed to traffic three hours before the start.
The second stage takes place on 9 May, running from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo.
The third and final Bulgarian stage begins on 10 May at 13:00, with the route from Plovdiv to Sofia.
For the first time, the entire “Tsarigradsko Shose” boulevard will be closed to traffic on Sunday between 12:00 and 21:00.
National coordinator Dimitar Petrov: “We will install five large screens on Tsarigradsko Shose so that people can comfortably watch the race and be part of the audience.”
Spectators will be allowed to stand along the roadway of Tsarigradsko Shose in the direction of Plovdiv, as well as along Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard up to the yellow cobblestones, in front of the old building of the Parliament.
Public transport in Sofia has been reorganised with diversion routes in place. Authorities expect some disruption, as a large part of the city centre will be affected from 9 May at 17:00.
Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard will be closed, and from 10 May at 06:00, Vasil Levski Boulevard will also be closed to traffic. The official alternative routes have already been published on the website of Sofia Municipality.
Host cities are also in the final stages of preparation to welcome visitors, residents and competitors.
In Burgas, key locations, public transport stops, restaurants and hotels have been branded in the race’s signature pink colour as part of the event preparations.
Manol Todorov, Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Sport in Burgas: “A great many central stops have been branded, as well as city transport buses. There will be numerous installations and flash mobs during the event itself. At the entrance to Burgas there is an installation of 109 flamingo figures, which will be very striking in the colours of the Giro d’Italia. There is also branding at key intersections along the route. I believe this will become a truly historic event for our city.”
In Plovdiv, a large-scale replica of the Giro d’Italia trophy has been created. The steel sculpture has been constructed in separate parts, which are later assembled into its original form.
Artist Dimitar Mitkov, the creator of the replica: “Making a spiral in itself is quite complex — there is a lot of computer work involved. Everything is first designed digitally. Each person in the team of more than 10 people has their own specific task.”
Artist Nedyalka Mitkova, author of the replica: “This spiral symbolises the riders’ journey through the history of the race from its creation in 1999 to the present day — a journey around the Earth. It features a distinctive mirrored band along the outer edge, which will be toned to match the original trophy.”
For Veliko Tarnovo, the event is considered one of the largest in scale to be hosted in the city. A significant number of visitors are expected, and a temporary traffic management plan has been introduced.
Georgi Nedev, Deputy Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo: “The streets are small and narrow, the city is hilly and we have almost no wide boulevards, but we have provided many parking spaces. Tsarevets Fortress will be lit in pink, followed by a light and sound show for all guests and residents. On all days, Tsarevets will be illuminated in pink for 3–4 minutes.”
He added that the historic fortress will be part of the visual spectacle accompanying the race.
In parallel, the island of St. Anastasia near Burgas has also been illuminated in pink as part of the Giro d’Italia atmosphere.
More than 180 cyclists from over 20 countries are expected to participate in the race. The competition will feature 23 teams, each with 8 riders.
Caretaker Sports Minister Dimitar Iliev: “Cycling is an exceptional sport — it toughens people physically and mentally. I believe many young people will be inspired to start training. The routes have been selected to showcase some of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria.”
Bulgarian National Television will broadcast all three stages on 8, 9 and 10 May. The coverage is expected to reach more than 700 million viewers, with over 15 hours of live programming on BNT 3, including studio broadcasts from Nessebar, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv and Sofia.
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