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2026 Giro d'Italia

109th edition: May 8 - May 31, 2026

Organizer's race summary, teams presentation photos, list of stages & start list with back numbers

Back to 2026 Giro d'Italia

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Start list with back numbers, May 7, 2026:

List of stages, December 1, 2025:

Organizer's summary of the 2026 route:

Grande Partenza Bulgaria
Three stages with several pitfalls, especially the second, will serve as the appetizer for the Corsa Rosa in Bulgaria. The first stage starts and finishes on the Black Sea coast, from Nessebar to Burgas, and will award the first Maglia Rosa. The race then sets off from Burgas to reach Veliko Tarnovo after a demanding 220 km, featuring a final climb of 3.5 km at 7.5%. The final stage in Bulgaria will finish in the capital Sofia, once again favouring the sprinters, starting from Plovdiv.

First Week
After the first rest day on Monday 11 May, the return to Italy is followed by stages that may suit the sprinters, though not necessarily for a full bunch finish, alternating with mountain stages. The race heads north up the peninsula, with the first summit finish at Blockhaus via its most feared side (Roccamorice). The week ends with the “Muri” stage to Fermo and the Apennine summit finish at Corno alle Scale, which returns 22 years after Gilberto Simoni’s victory in 2004.

Second Week
Second rest day on Monday 18 May. Racing resumes with a 40.2 km individual time trial entirely in Tuscany, from Viareggio to Massa – the Tappa Bartali of this edition. Three more stages follow, alternating demanding finales with bunch sprints, in preparation for the weekend in the Aosta Valley, where the peloton heads to Pila (back for the first time in over 30 years) with a brutal 133 km stage featuring more than 4,400 m of elevation gain. Sunday is expected to be a sprint finish in Milan, which will host the 90th stage finish in its history.

Third Week
The third week begins with a bang thanks to the very short but extremely intense stage held entirely in Switzerland, from Bellinzona to Carì. Two mixed stages serve as a warm-up for the final two very tough days. The Dolomite queen stage links Feltre with Piani di Pezzè (another historic return, after Marco Pantani’s victory at the 1992 Giro d’Italia for amateurs). The route tackles the Duran, Staulanza (with the Coi variant), Giau (Cima Coppi) and Falzarego passes, retracing some of the Giro’s most iconic roads. The following day, the Corsa Rosa commemorates the devastating Friuli earthquake (6 May 1976), passing through the affected area before climbing Piancavallo twice, which will decide the final general classification. Grande Arrivo in Rome with the traditional parade circuit through the Eternal City.

Numbers & Facts
3.459 km total distance
50.000 m elevation gain
16th foreign Grande Partenza in Giro history
8th Grande Arrivo in Rome
40.2 km of individual time trialling
90 stage finishes in Milan
Passo Giau as Cima Coppi for the 4th time (after 1973 – José Manuel Fuente; 2011 – Stefano Garzelli; 2021 – Egan Bernal)