In Burgas, at the presentation of the 23 teams at the start of the 109th edition of the Corsa Rosa, the Dane was the most applauded. He’s aiming for the only major stage race he’s missing
Despite the name – Summer Theater – the evening has little that is summery and even less that is light. In Burgas the wind cuts the air and the runners, as soon as they get off the stage, huddle in their sweatshirts like sprinters have to defend themselves on big climbs. Yet, right here, under an uncertain sky, the Giro d’Italia opens the curtain on its 109th edition, transforming Bulgaria into the center of world cycling.
Parade
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It is a debut that smells like a global event. The Grande Partenza 2026 once again chooses abroad – after Albania in 2025 – and gives Burgas the role of temporary capital of the pink race. The public responds by being present, filling every available space in the theater, enthusiastically welcoming the parade of teams, in an atmosphere that mixes curiosity, celebration and national pride. On stage, the ceremony becomes a political and cultural story. Local and national institutions underline the significance of the appointment: the Minister of Sport and Youth Dimitar Iliev, the mayor Dimitar Nikolov – who greets with a convinced “Burgas loves sport” – and the Minister of Tourism Irena Georgieva speak of international visibility, economic return and promotion of the territory. The Giro is not just a race: it is a stage that amplifies identity and ambitions. For Bulgaria, however, top cycling still remains an almost unexplored frontier. One name, in particular, brings back memories of the only recent precedent: Nikolay Mihaylov, at the start in 2015, capable of reaching Milan and finishing the race in 129th place. A detail that today sounds distant, while the country tries to imagine itself no longer as a spectator but as a protagonist of a movement that elsewhere is popular culture. Meanwhile, the evening flows between music, dance and entertainment. The performances of the Deja Vu group and traditional Bulgarian choreographies alternate folklore and entertainment, while the teams parade one after the other amidst applause and flashes. It is a continuous balance between local identity and global dimension, between street party and major media event.
Teams
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But the moment everyone is waiting for is only one: the passage of the big names. From the NSN Cycling Team to the big names in the group, the scene lights up when Ineos with Filippo Ganna and Egan Bernal, UAE Team Emirates with Adam Yates, Red Bull with Giulio Pellizzari and Jai Hindley and above all Visma with Jonas Vingegaard take the stage last. He is the one who attracts attention, last to be presented but first in intensity of applause, even more than the Italians Ganna and Milan. The Dane arrives in Burgas with the weight of the ranking and expectations. Two Tours de France won in 2022 and 2023, a Vuelta won in 2025: his CV speaks for itself. And the words, on stage, leave no room for interpretation: “I’m here to win. It’s special to be in my first Giro, a race I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It was a painful choice not to be able to participate in previous years. I remember watching the Giro on television as a child. I don’t think I’m the only favorite. And Red Bull is a strong team. But now I know that I have the opportunity to win all three Grand Tours.” A simple statement, but one that sounds like a warning. Alongside safety, however, there remains a more human nuance: a bruise under the eye, perhaps the memory of a fall during training in recent months. Nothing that changes the scenario, but enough to remember that even the favorites are made of fragility. Then, as always happens on big opening nights, the tension melts away. Between applause and smiles, the ceremony slides towards the finale and closes with a soundtrack that is already a collective memory. The Burgas presentation, guess how it ends? With the inevitable “It will be because I love you” by Ricchi e Poveri, a must in Italy (and the Giro) in the world. But it suits us very well to close the evening and launch the pink race, always surrounded by enormous passion.
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