If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know that it’s not unusual for the Giro d’Italia to start elsewhere. Last year, the Giro’s first three stages took place in Albania, where we were treated to stunning coastal views and dramatic mountain vistas.

On Friday, the peloton will kick off the 2026 Giro in Nessebar, an ancient Black Sea resort culturally linked with the Thracians, Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and I can’t wait to see it! By day’s end, we’ll arrive in Burgas, which will give us quite a different vibe: it’s a major economic hub emblematic of Bulgaria’s evolution from former Soviet satellite to a modern, free-market society.

Stage 1: Nessebar to Burgas (Bulgaria); 147 km; flat

This looks like a stage for the fast men. Expect a fierce battle between top-ranked sprinters Paul Magnier (Soudal Quickstep) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) as they thunder to the finish in Burgas.

Wine Recommendation: Bulgarian Wines

Easier said than done, trust me I know! I combed NYC wine shops looking for a single bottle and came up empty. Queries to a few importers left me in the wind. But a little online research reassured me that Bulgarian wines are indeed out there and worth the effort to find.

According to the World Atlas of Wine, the story of Bulgarian wine is similar to that of other former communist-block countries: recovering from decades of industrial production that favored quantity over quality, and dispatched family farmers from their land. Slowly but surely, subsequent generations of landowners have begun to re-establish their claims. Now they’re showing the world a new class of Bulgarian wine, one based on native grape varieties and focused on quality rather than quantity.

If you’d like to learn more about Bulgarian wine, here’s a YouTube video by wine expert Matthew Horkey, who has visited the region and tasted many of its wines. He provides great insight into the regions of production as well as the character of the native grape varieties. Definitely worth a watch!

And, please, if you do happen to taste a Bulgarian wine (or know how I can find one!) drop a comment at the bottom. I’m dead-set on procuring a bottle. 😊

Enjoy the race! I’ll be back tomorrow with a preview of Stage 2.

NOTE: If you live in the USA and are wondering how to watch the Giro live, it’s difficult but not impossible (and not free.) HBO Max offers TNT Sports as an add-on and the coverage is top-notch. It includes pre- and post-race content with a panel of UK-based cycling experts.