Tour of Romania, nearly a century on two wheels: The story of the “Little Loop,” inspired by the Tour de France

The Tour of Romania is preparing for a special edition that will begin, for the first time, in Chisinau, Moldova. The race will run from September 9 to 13, 2026, cover more than 800 kilometers and connect Moldova with Romania before finishing in Bucharest.

Now in its 58th edition, the competition is traditionally known as the “Little Loop,” a smaller European sister to the “Great Loop,” the familiar nickname for the Tour de France. It has a 92-year history and has already completed 504 stages.

Cycling took root in Romania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when French, English, Austrian and Berlin fashions reached the country’s growing cities. The bicycle became popular among the wealthy and cultured circles of the Kingdom of Romania, while races, specialist publications and national federations were appearing across Europe.

In 1869, a Bucharest society established Romania’s first velocipede section. Cycling officially became a sport in Bucharest in 1891, with artists, children of boyars and wealthy merchants among the early bicycle owners. The first tours of Romania followed in 1894, initially as noncompetitive rides.

Among the notable Romanian cyclists of the period was Alois Pulcher, whose name reached the international press. The country’s cycling tradition eventually reached its high point with the first Tour of Romania in 1934, laying the foundation for the “Little Loop” that continues this year across two countries.

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He was among the first Romanian athletes whose names crossed the country’s borders. The cyclist Alois Pucher became the subject of the international press.