The 2026 Giro d’Italia covers 3,468km of racing, but riders and teams face a huge extra logistical challenge and an extra 1,000km transfer on Monday to get from the start in Bulgaria to Italy.
Stage 3 finishes in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia on Sunday at 5pm local time and stage 4 starts in the southern Italian town of Catanzaro at 1.40pm CEST on Tuesday. There are 40 hours between stages but everyone in the Giro caravan faces a race against time to make the 1,000km transfer and to arrive in Italy on Monday.
The Bulgarian government reportedly paid RCS Sport €12.5 million to host the Giro Grande Partenza, far more than any Italian city or region could ever pay.
RCS Sport face their own extra costs but have budgeted carefully to earn as much as possible from the Grande Partenza. According to a recent Cyclingnews special feature on the commercial and cultural value of the Giro, RCS Sport generates revenue of €80 million and around €22 million in profit per year.
Grand Tour organisers usually pay a participation fee of around €60,000 per team and provide beds and meals for around 30 riders and personnel. However in recent years, teams have…
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