AKP Phnom Penh, May 15, 2026 —

Shortly after 1:00 pm on Sunday, Plovdiv Mayor Kostadin Dimitrov officially started the third stage of the Giro d’Italia. The riders set off from Central Square in the city of Plovdiv and will cover 175 kilometres to the finish in Sofia, which will be in front of the Parliament building.

Sunday’s third stage of the Giro - the last to be hosted in Bulgaria as part of the race’s itinerary, is expected to include a gentle climb toward the mountain resort of Borovets followed by a descent into Sofia, with the finish anticipated around 5:00 pm.

However, following the mass crash 23 kilometres before the finish of Stage 2 from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo, several riders will not continue in the race.

The most affected team is UAE Team Emirates, as Marc Soler, Jay Vine, and Adam Yates have all withdrawn from the competition. In addition, Santiago Buitrago, Adne Holter, and Andrea Vendrame did not start the third stage.

In 2026 Bulgaria is hosting the Grande Partenza event of the 109th Giro d'Italia. Running through key centres of culture and wonders of nature, the route is divided into three stages, each taking one day from May 8 to 10.

In the final third stage, the peloton of 178 riders will cover 175 kilometres before finishing in the capital Sofia. The first section of the stage climbs gently toward the mountain resort of Borovets, while the final 75 kilometres are mostly downhill.

The race in Bulgaria began on May 8 in Nessebar, with the first stage finishing in Burgas, where French rider Paul Magnier crossed the line first.

The second stage from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo on Saturday was won by Uruguayan Guillermo Thomas Silva, who also took the pink jersey as overall leader.

AKP-BTA