Tour of Romania reaches Bessarabian soil: first stage to take place fully in Moldova

The 2026 Tour of Romania will start, for the first time, in Chișinău, and the first stage of the competition will take place entirely on the territory of Moldova. The organizers have presented the official route of the race, which will cross more districts of the country and promote some of its most picturesque areas.



The first stage, scheduled for September 9, will be approximately 170 kilometers long and will start from the center of Chișinău. The cycling caravan will pass through the districts of Ialoveni, Hancesti, Calarasi and Ungheni.



The president of the Cycling Federation of Moldova, Denis Codreanu, said that the route had been conceived, so that the competition would reach as many localities as possible and promote cycling among the population.

“We start from Chișinău, then head toward Hancesti, where an intermediate event will take place right in the city center. The route continues through the Codrii forests of Moldova, toward Capriana, then to Calarasi and Cornesti, where there will be other intermediate sprints. The stage will finish in Ungheni. We wanted to include as many districts as possible, in order to popularize this sport and to allow people to see the competition close to their homes,” Codreanu said.

The organizers say that the stage in Moldova will have a symbolic and historic character, as it is the first time that the Tour of Romania starts outside Romania’s borders.

The president of the Romanian Cycling Federation, Cătălin Sprînceană, emphasized that this edition represented a sporting bridge between the two states.

“In 1937, the Tour of Romania was supposed to reach Bessarabia, but the geopolitical context did not allow it. After almost 90 years, the competition is finally arriving on Bessarabian soil. It is a historic moment for cycling in Romania and Moldova,” Sprînceană said.

This year’s edition of the Tour of Romania will bring together approximately 150 sportspeople and 25 international teams. The competition is included in the calendar of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and the athletes will earn important points for the world rankings and qualification for the Olympic Games.

After the Chișinău–Ungheni stage, the race will continue in Romania.

This year’s edition of the Tour of Romania will take place during September 9-13 and will include 5 stages on a route of over 800 km. The first stage will be held in Moldova, between Chisinau and Ungheni, over a distance of 170 km, after which the tour will continue on Romanian territory, with Iasi - Piatra Neat (160 km), Piatra Neamt - Balvanyos (200 km), Brasov - Ploiesti (160 km) and will end in Bucharest (100 km circuit).