As Denis Codreanu, chairman of the Moldovan Cycling Association, noted in an interview with Logos Press, the start of the 2026 Turul României in Moldova provides an opportunity for our country to showcase itself on the international stage, whilst the national team returns to the race after a six-year hiatus.
This year’s Turul României will comprise five stages. After setting off from Chișinău, the peloton will head to Ungheni, before passing through Iași, Piatra Neamț, Băile Balvanoș, Brașov and Ploiești. The final stage on 13 September will take the form of a circuit race in Bucharest.
A total of 130 professional cyclists from 23 teams have lined up at the start. They represent 16 countries. Among the participants are six national teams, including those from Italy, Poland and Moldova. Over the five stages, the athletes will cover around 840 kilometres.
The start of the international race in Chișinău highlights the cross-border nature of this year’s Turul României and forms part of the sporting cooperation between Moldova and Romania. This was emphasised by Moldova’s Prime Minister Vasile Tofan in his welcoming address to the participants.
He also noted that hosting such significant competitions makes an invaluable contribution to Moldova’s economy. “I have learnt that the race participants and their support staff have booked over a thousand hotel rooms. I hope you’ll take some wonderful Moldovan wines home with you – the athletes won’t need them, but I’m sure the rest of the team members will enjoy Moldovan hospitality and the quality of our wines,” said Vasile Tofan from the podium.
Of particular interest to fans in Moldova is the participation of Cristian Răileanu – one of Moldova’s leading cyclists, who competes for the Romanian national team and is one of the team’s leaders.
“I am delighted about this celebration for the Republic of Moldova and for the country’s cycling, because I was born here and grew up in the north of the country, in Bălți,” noted Raileanu during the team presentation ceremony. “The fact that the ‘Tour of Romania’ is starting here in Chișinău for the first time is historic, and it is a great honour to be part of this history. We have very strong teams – both Romania and the Republic of Moldova – and we hope to perform well in this prestigious cycling race.”
Around 3,000 amateur cyclists will take part in the public races
The professional race will be accompanied by events for amateurs and children. Children’s races will take place in Iași, Piatra Neamț, Ploiești and Bucharest.
The Romanian capital will also host the ‘King of the Capital’ amateur race, which aims to promote cycling and an active lifestyle.
According to the organisers, around 3,000 participants of various ages have already registered for the amateur and children’s races associated with Turul României.
The race trophy reinterprets Brâncuși’s legacy
A key feature of the 2026 Turul României will be the design of the trophy. As conceived by the organisers, it reinterprets elements of Constantin Brâncuși’s iconic works in a contemporary form, centred on the ideas of movement, verticality and strength.
The trophy is crafted from maple wood (paltin) — a dense material with a distinctive resonance, which is used, in particular, to make wooden rattles for monasteries.
Turul României 2026 programme
8 September — team presentation, Chișinău;
9 September – Stage 1, Chișinău – Ungheni;
10 September – Stage 2, Iași – Piatra Neamț;
11 September – Stage 3, Piatra Neamț – Băile Balvanoș;
12 September – Stage 4, Brașov – Ploiești;
13 September – Stage 5, circuit race in Bucharest.
Follow our updates
Have information for the newsroom? Share it with Logos-Press
Comments
0No comments yet. You can start the conversation.
Comments are open to readers with a Logos Press account.
Sign in to comment