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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Upcoming racing:
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
Latest completed racing:
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
- October 19: Veneto Classic
- October 19: Japan Cup
- October 19: Chrono des Nations
- October 15: Giro del Veneto
- October 12: Paris-Tours
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Here’s the team’s post:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike and defending champion Simon Yates were present at the presentation of the 2026 Giro d’Italia route in Rome today, where an interesting parcours with brutal mountain stages and a long time trial was revealed.
“It’s a nice parcours. The first thing that springs to mind is the completely flat 40-kilometre time trial, but there are also a lot of tough uphill finishes. Now that we know the route, we will decide what to do as a team, and who will ride the Giro,” said Grischa Niermann, head of racing at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, after the presentation in the Italian capital.
“It looks like a challenging parcours, even though it takes a while before we get to the first uphill finish. As is usually the case in the Giro, it’s heavily backloaded with some very hard stages in the Dolomites and Alps near the end. It should be a good course for a climber, but we also have to keep the long time trial in mind. Overall, it looks good,” Niermann added about the first Grand Tour of 2026.
The 2026 Giro d'Italia route
The fight for pink kicks off with three stages in Bulgaria, where a lumpy and long second stage is sandwiched between two flatter stages in the Eastern European country. The race then continues in the south of Italy, where the almost 250-kilometre stage seven to the iconic Blockhaus, followed by a “muro” stage filled with short, steep climbs, will tire the riders before a rest day and the all-important tenth stage.
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Here, a 40-kilometre fight against the clock awaits the riders, who will be cruising at high speeds along the Tyrrhenian Sea. A time trial that long and without any climbs is a rare sight in modern cycling, but it may well be balanced out by the mountains still to come. Stage 14 marks the next major showdown between the favourites, as 4,500 meters of climbing are packed into only 130 kilometers, including an uphill finish to Pila. The second week finishes in Milan with what could be a sprinter’s delight, before the race is decided in a tough final week.
Grischa Niermann:
Stage 16 has traditionally been the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia, but next year that will not be the case. Another uphill finish is still on the menu, though, but the main course will be served on stage 19, where the queen stage takes place in the Dolomites on climbs such as Passo Duran, Passo Giau and Piani di Pezzé. The stage is only 150 kilometers long, but with 5,000 meters of climbing and a mix of steep gradients and thin air, it promises to be a brutal day in the saddle. A double ascent of Piancavallo rounds off what will likely be yet another tough Giro d’Italia on stage 20, before the neo-classic sprint stage in Rome crowns the next Giro d’Italia winner.
Simon Yates with his pink jersey after stage 20 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. Sirotti photo
Last year, Simon Yates was the one celebrated in Rome after a final raid on the Colle delle Finestre that no one will forget anytime soon. The Brit had long had a special bond with the Italian Grand Tour, and this year he finally brought the Trofeo Senza Fine. Before the presentation, Yates reflected on what it meant to actually win the race he had been yearning for.
“To be honest, I’m still in disbelief that I managed to pull it off. It’s something I’ve worked towards for so long, and obviously a moment I will never forget. It feels like a defining moment in my career. The Giro is just a different race from every other race on the calendar. The feeling you get when you ride through the fans on the way to sign-on is incredible, and they show so much passion on the side of the road. I’m sure everybody who has raced the Giro feels that as well - not just the guy who wins,” Simon Yates concluded.
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Here’s the post from Ewers’ Team EF Education-Oatly:
This mutual decision between Veronica and EF Education–Oatly was made with her long-term health and well-being as the top priority.
Veronica has been managing RED-S throughout her career. After taking a prolonged break from cycling during the 2024 season to support her recovery, she returned to racing and remained under close supervision of our medical and nutrition staff. Together, they managed her training and race schedules while monitoring her symptoms to support her recovery from RED-S.
Veronica Ewers
Veronica has been diligent throughout the recovery process and has worked hard to rebuild her health. She has done everything within her power to support her recovery while remaining a committed teammate both on and off the bike.
Ahead of the team’s 2026 pre-season camp, bloodwork performed by her personal nutritionist revealed she was still showing hormonal values consistent with RED-S. As a result, Veronica and the team jointly agreed to release her from her contract. The decision was made to enable her to take time away from the sport to fully focus on her recovery while also removing any contractual pressures associated with being a professional athlete.
The team’s medical staff, therapists, and dietitians will continue to remain available to her throughout her time away from cycling.
“The team has given me time to recover but unfortunately it hasn’t been enough time for my body to heal fully,” Veronica said. “Now is the time to focus on my health because if I don’t then I will continue to be stuck in a healing body that can’t perform nor fully heal. If I ever want to perform at the top level again, I need to take the time to fully recover and then compete in a fully functional body.
“I'd like to thank the team for listening to me and supporting my decision to regain my health,” she said.
"The health and long-term well-being of our riders is always our top concern, and that is what guided this difficult decision,” said EF Education–Oatly general manager Esra Tromp. “Veronica has shown immense courage and dedication, and we are committed to supporting her as she focuses on her health. We hope to see Veronica healthy again very soon.”
We wish Veronica all the best in her recovery.
If you or anyone else is dealing with RED-S, Project RED-S is a valuable resource.
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