Surprises Along the Giro d’Italia Route: Horo Dance, a Wedding, Flamingos, Dinosaurs and Ballet

The Giro d’Italia created a true spectacle in the towns and cities it passed through in Bulgaria. BNT has learned that organisers were delighted with the enthusiasm of the Bulgarian audience. Creativity took centre stage, with riders encountering colourful scenes ranging from eccentric fans and flamingos to even a wedding.

Even the Italians were impressed by the temperament of the Bulgarian crowds during the race.

Thousands of people lined the streets along the route, dressed in pink and holding placards.

The riders throwing bottles at the crowd was not a sign of disrespect. Fans along the route often try to catch discarded bottles as souvenirs from their favourite cyclists, with some even arriving prepared with fishing nets.

A Trabant spotted near Pazardzhik was not part of the official support convoy, and a tractor also took no part in the race.

The colour and creativity of the Bulgarian audience accompanied the entire route. Some wore sombreros and waved Bulgarian flags, while others ran alongside holding a fox — or perhaps a wolf. The animated wolf Lupo is the Giro d’Italia’s official mascot.

More “animals” appeared along the route, with some riders seen on flamingo props and others dressed in T-Rex Dinosaur Costumes.

One cyclist, not part of the official race peloton, even managed to take a leading position in Samokov.

Dancing also formed part of the atmosphere. Students from the National School of Dance Arts performed a lively traditional horo chain dance near Pasarel, while 20 ballerinas from the Sofia Opera and Ballet danced on an open-air stage under the stars near Pancharevo.

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'Horo' is traditional Bulgarian folk dance characterized by participants holding hands or holding onto belts, forming a chain or a circle that moves to the rhythm of folk music.

Romance also found its place in the Giro, as a couple said “I do” against the backdrop of the passing peloton.