Race thread: 🇧🇬 Tour of Italy 2026 (Bulgarian week-end), May 8–10 - sh.itjust.works
The first Grand Tour of the year starts on Friday, with 3 days in Bulgaria.
General info On each stage, there will be only 1 Intermediate Stage (Traguardo
Volante) that give points (to the first 5 riders) that counts both for the
Cyclamen jersey, and the dedicated I.S. classification; and 1 Bonus Sprint (Red
Bull) that gives Time Bonuses (6″-4″-2″) and makes up a dedicated RB
classification. So the Cyclamen jersey will be determined more by points at
stages finishes than last year, when there were 2 I.S. in each stage. As for
climbing (Blue jersey), there are 4 categories plus the Cima Coppi which is
located on stage 19. 4th category climbs gives points to the first 3 riders, 3rd
cat. to the first 4, 2nd to the first 6, 1st to the first 8, and the Cima Coppi
to the first 9. PCS page
[https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2026] Teams and riders All
World Teams will be present, as well as the following Pro Teams: Bardiani🇮🇹,
Polti🇮🇹, Tudor🇨🇭, Q36.5🇨🇭 and Unibet🇫🇷 (without a single bit of 🇫🇷 in
it). The ultra-favorite is Jonas Vingegaard (🇩🇰 Visma), as there are not many
competitors for GC. Actually there are many contenders for podium, but not for
victory: Pellizzari (🇮🇹 Bora), Bernal (🇨🇴 Ineos), A. Yates (🇬🇧 UAE), Gall
(🇦🇹 Decathlon), Storer (🇦🇺 Tudor) and perhaps Vine (🇦🇺 UAE) if he doesn’t
get attacked by a kangaroo this time. ------- Stages It looks like it was an
exercise in avoiding most the mountainous and hilly regions which represent more
than half of Bulgaria. Stage 1, Friday 8 147 km, no difficulty (50 pts), 5 km
sprint zone and 3″ splits This is a short sprinters stage, on the seaside (Black
Sea).
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/8f7f1707-4a73-4258-9d25-3b8b5fa3dd5c.jpeg]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/8b57808f-8d3a-4fa8-a94b-d5bc558a803f.jpeg]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/88f7586f-a8d9-4899-9bb6-140787cb8333.jpeg]
Stage 2, Saturday 9 221 km, medium difficulty (25 pts), no sprint zone, 1″
splits This is more a stage for punchers and sprinters-punchers. The crossing of
the lowest part of the Balkan Mountains around mid-race shouldn’t impact the
scenario, which should be a partial decision in the last little climb of
Lyaskovets 10 km before the finish, and a final decision in the last hump at the
last mile.
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/3f54d2d8-4a0a-43c2-b808-8bbb93257333.jpeg]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/4e526c3f-85a2-49c2-aa67-0fccd6ee0b58.jpeg]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/4cec37a2-d823-427b-a182-4e8cea617793.jpeg]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/adf9c509-5f46-4294-a59f-ed84a521a01b.jpeg]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/15f9efae-434f-4b9a-adf3-0580688c2cf2.jpeg]
Stage 3, Sunday 10 175 km, low difficulty (50 pts), 3 km sprint zone, 3″ splits
Despite a visit to the northern part of the Rila, passing through the smooth
slopes of the ski ressort of Borovets, this should again be a sprinters finish
in the long, straight avenues of the capital Sofia. If I trust the map, the last
hundred metres should be on the yellow brick pavement of the Tsar Osvoboditel
bvd (Streetview link [https://maps.app.goo.gl/5tShNSMJ1jps1Uwh6]). However, the
cobbles do not appear on the map or profile, so perhaps the line is placed just
before them.
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/5f70271d-5619-4139-88e9-d7a61fea0c65.png]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/a50279a1-c114-400a-b7cc-47c14a836962.png]
[https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/c50d0184-19d1-41ad-a90e-99d7c2415c9a.png]
---- Monday is the transfer to the South of Italy.
P3KO | Petrified activist 🐧
Deschanel2027
Trux!
Biking Japan
Thomas Herrmann
kat