Tour of Albania

The first edition of the Tour of Albania was organized on August 25, 1925 and covered a distance of 1,300 kilometers. On the inaugural race, local municipalities and prefectures along the route hosted a ceremonial welcome, providing the cyclists with lodging, meals and medical assistance. It became customary for the top three cyclists in each stage to receive special gifts in recognition of their performance.^[2]

The competition was interrupted in several ocassions during periods of political unrest and throughout World War II. The race would resume in 1946 and soon became an annual event organized by Albania’s cycling authorities. During communist rule, it grew into one of the country’s leading sporting competitions, bringing together teams representing cities, sports clubs and state institutions.

In 2017, the Tour of Albania was officially included in the UCI Europe Tour calendar, raising its international profile and attracting professional teams from several countries.

The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tour is held as a road stage race contested over multiple days. Stages are typically organized through mountainous terrain, coastal roads and urban circuits throughout Albania. The overall winner is determined by the lowest cumulative time across all stages.

The race is organized by the Albanian Cycling Federation and sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) as part of the Europe Tour.

• Albanian Cycling Federation
• UCI Europe Tour