Giro d'Italia stage 1 LIVE: The Giro starts today with a fight for a sprint victory and the first maglia rosa in Bulgaria

145km to go

We have two riders on the attack. Will the peloton chase?

Race director Stefano Allocchio blows his whistle and waves his flag from the race car.

The 2026 Giro is underway!

The Unibet riders seem ready to dive into any early attacks.

We can see Lidl-Trek leader Derek Gee-West up front near the race director's car.

1km until the stage starts!

The local Bulgarian crowds are out along the roadsides. That's great to see.

The riders can enjoy a 4.7km neutralised ride out of the seafront of Nessebar. Then the flag will drop and we are expecting attacks.

There are four jersey competitions and lots of other special classifications and prizes. We have all the details.

Giro d'Italia jerseys, classifications and rules explained – A breakdown of points available on each stage, prize money, minor prizes and more

Race favourite Jonas Vingegaard was one of the last to sign on.

Here we go! The riders are about to roll out!

The riders are happy to finally race after four days in Bulgaria but there is tension in the air due to the expected sprint finish.

The start of stage 1 in Nessebar is on the edge of the Black Sea. The sun is out!

The Giro d'Italia social media team are the best in the business. It's great to be back at the Giro.

Half of the teams have signed on so far, with EF Education showing off their new green swap-out kit.

Simon Yates snatched overall victory on the final mountain stage in 2025. He made a surprise decision to retire during the winter but his twin brother Adam is leading the UAE team this year and could win in Rome.

Alasdair Fotheringham spoke to Yates for this special interview, with Adam revealing his brother has given him some tips.

'He's given me a few tricks and tips' – Giro d'Italia GC contender Adam Yates garners advice and tactics from brother Simon's victory

Cyclingnews will have full live coverage of every stage of the Giro. The race is also broadcast and streamed around the globe.

Check out our special 'How to watch' guide to understand where you can see the race and how a VPN can help if you are away from home.

How to watch Giro d'Italia 2026 – Free live streams, TV channels, Schedule

At the start in Nessebar, the first teams are starting to sign-on. The sun is out and the weather is dry with expected temperatures of 18-20C.

This is our detailed stage 1 preview, with information on today's stage.

2026 Giro d'Italia stage 1 - Which sprinter is most likely to take the first maglia rosa?

The Giro d'Italia starts outside of Italy for the 16th time and a second consecutive year, with Bulgaria hosting a three-stage Grande Partenza on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This is our full race preview, with links to all our special pre-race content, full stage details and maps.

Giro d'Italia 2026- Preview

We've published previews, interviews, analysis and special features on the 2026 Giro in recent week and James Moultrie and Alasdair Fotheringham are on the ground in Bulgaria to speak to riders and teams and bring you all the best reporting on the 2026 Giro d'Italia.

The Giro d'Italia and the Grand Tour season begins with the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria.

The riders will race three stages in Bulgaria and then transfer to Italy on Monday.

Stage 1 is along the Black Sea coast, from Nessebar, a Unesco World Heritage Site and ends further south in Burgas after 147km of flat and likely fast racing.

The tension is high as a high-speed sprint finish seems assured with the stage winner also awarded the first race leader's Maglia Rosa.

Buongiorno and welcome to the Cyclingnews full live coverage of stage 1 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia.