Slovenia to host its first-ever full stage of Giro d’Italia in 2027

Slovenia will feature prominently in the 2027 Giro d'Italia, with the second stage, on 9 May, taking riders from the capital Ljubljana to the coastal city of Koper. It will be the first time ever that an entire stage of one of cycling's three Grand Tours takes place entirely in Slovenia.

The 166-kilometre Ljubljana-Koper stretch will come after the 172-kilometre Grande Partenza around Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia, which will also veer into Slovenia for a section of the Kras region, the organisers revealed, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Giro riders have often cycled through Slovenia in the past, most recently in 2025, when the caravan circled around the Brda region and Nova Gorica. The race also visited Ljubljana twice in 1971 and 2001, but the country has never hosted a full Giro stage before.

Nor has it hosted any of the other two great multi-week races, although it hopes to host the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2029, elated by the success of Tadej Pogačar, a five-time Tour winner.

It is not clear whether Pogačar, who won the Giro in 2024, is considering taking part in the race although the organisers are keen to have him at the start.

He recently listed the Road World Championships, the Tour and the Vuelta a Espana as his main goals for the next season after a nasty fall at the Vuelta this year prevented him from completing a full set of Grand Tour victories.

Slovenia's other star rider, Primož Roglič, who won the Giro trophy in 2023, is still in talks with his potential new team after his contract with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe expired this season amid rumours that he may also opt to retire from professional career.

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