An international cycling marathon Grand Tour: Silk Road Reload is scheduled to take place across Central Asian countries in September–October 2026.
Preparations for the large-scale sporting event are already underway. An expedition team involved in the project has completed one of the key preparation stages, covering more than 1,500 kilometers along the route from Almaty to Dushanbe, according to the Tajikistan Federation of Sports Tourism (TFST).
Organizers say the trip to Dushanbe was part of a technical audit of the future cycling route, which aims to unite Central Asian countries through a humanitarian and sporting initiative.
The expedition was led by renowned cyclist and peace ambassador Nodar Beridze (Georgia), the initiator and ideologist of the project. The team also included Khursand Sherov (Uzbekistan), Ikhe Tumarov (Kazakhstan), and Akhtam Manonov (Tajikistan).
During the expedition, participants assessed the logistics and safety of a key section of the route passing through Uzynagash, Bishkek, Taraz, Shymkent, Tashkent and Dushanbe. The next stage of the expedition is planned through Samarkand and Bukhara, after which the route will continue toward Ashgabat.
While in Dushanbe, the team met with Olympic champion in athletics Dilshod Nazarov, who expressed support for the initiative.
According to the organizers, the expedition has already attracted significant public attention. Video diaries posted by Nodar Beridze on social media have gathered more than one million views.
The current journey serves as a preparatory stage ahead of the project’s main event — the Grand Tour: Silk Road Reload international cycling marathon, scheduled for autumn 2026.
Organizers say the project aims to promote the cultural heritage of the Great Silk Road, strengthen people-to-people diplomacy, encourage healthy lifestyles, and enhance tourism cooperation among countries in the region.
