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Stages
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Stage 1147km | Nessebar - Burgas
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Stage 2219km | Burgas - Veliko Tarnovo
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Stage 3175km | Plovdiv - Sofia
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Rest Day 1-
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Stage 4138km | Catanzaro - Cosenza
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Stage 5203km | Praia a Mare - Potenza
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Stage 6142km | Paestum - Napoli
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Stage 7244km | Formia - Blockhaus
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Stage 8156km | Chieti - Fermo
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Stage 9184km | Cervia - Corno alle Scale
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Rest Day 2-
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Stage 1040.2km | Viareggio - Massa (ITT)
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Stage 11195km | Porcari - Chiaveri
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Stage 12175km | Imperia - Novi Ligure
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Stage 13189km | Alessandria - Verbania
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Stage 14133km | Aosta - Pila
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Stage 15157km | Voghera - Milan
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Rest Day 3-
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Stage 16113km | Bellinzona - Carì
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Stage 17202km | Cassano d'Adda - Andalo
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Stage 18168km | Fai della Paganella - Pieve di Soligo
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Stage 19151km | Feltre - Alleghe
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Stage 20200km | Gemona del Friuli - Piancavallo
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Stage 21131km | Rome - Rome
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Latest News from the Race
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News'There aren't many hours outside of all the rehab to spend a lot of time enjoying life' – Jay Vine won't be targeting GC at Giro d'Italia after stop-start 2026 season -
Member ExclusiveLegendary duels, left-field business moves, and the role of La Gazzetta: How RCS turned the Giro d'Italia into a national treasure, and a billion Euro event -
Red Bull Kilometre sprints and stage finishes offer precious time bonuses during 2026 Giro d'Italia
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Date | May 8- 31, 2026 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
Distance | 3,466 | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
Start location | Nessebar, Bulgaria | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
Finish location | Rome, Italy | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
Category | UCI WorldTour/GrandTour | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
Edition | 109th | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
Total climbing | 49,150 metres | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
Previous edition | Row 7 - Cell 2 | |
Previous winner | Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
Giro d'Italia Countdown
'The stress just drains you' – What Jonas Vingegaard can expect from his first Giro d'Italia
When Jonas Vingegaard heads to the Giro d'Italia start line at Nessebar in a little under 48 hours, even if he is a debutant, in a lot of ways he'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect in the 3,468 kilometres that lie between him and the race's final finish line at Rome on May 31. He's got eight Grand Tours in his palmarès – five Tours and three Vueltas – after all, and his lowest final position in any of them since 2021 has been second overall, with no abandons. So it's fair to say Vingegaard is very much a 'been there, done that, got the t-shirt/maillot jaune to prove it' kind of guy. Read more...
What is the Blockhaus? And why does it matter so much in this year’s Giro d’Italia?
2026 Giro d'Italia Overview
The 2026 Giro d'Italia is the 109th edition of the Italian Grand Tour. The three-week race will be held from May 8 to May 31 with the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria in Eastern Europe. The Giro will travel to Italy after three stages in Bulgaria
Race organiser RCS Sport presented the race route in Rome on December 1, alongside the route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women's race.
The 2026 Giro d'Italia route covers a total 3,466 kilometres and includes 49,150 metres of elevation gain across the 21 stages.
There is just one 40.2 km time trial in Tuscany, with a balance of sprint, hilly and mountain stages. The final week is packed with mountain stages in the north of Italy before a transfer to the capital Rome for the final circuit stage.
The Giro d'Italia is one of professional cycling's three Grand Tours, alongside the Tour de France and Vuelta a España.
First run in 1909 by sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the race has been organised since 1989 by RCS Sport under the same umbrella as the newspaper.
The race experimented with different formats in the early years starting with a points system, then holding only a teams classification in 2012, and finally moving to the time-based classification used today in 1914.
The race was suspended from 1915 to 1918 due to World War I. Once it resumed, Alfredo Binda emerged as the first star of the race, winning in 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1933.
Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi made their names in the Giro before World War II led to the race's cancellation from 1941 to 1945, then resumed their rivalry.
Coppi won five editions in 1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953, while Bartali won in 1936, 1937 and 1946.
The next superstar to make a name in the Giro d'Italia was Eddy Merckx, winner of five editions from 1968 to 1974.
Who will challenge Jonas Vingegaard at this year's Giro d'Italia? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our coverage of the Corsa Rosa. Enjoy unrivalled reporting from our team of journalists on the ground, including breaking news, analysis, and more, from every stage as it happens, plus access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.
2026 Giro d'Italia schedule
Stage | Date | Start-Finish | Distance |
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Stage 1 | May 8, 2026 | Nessebar - Burgas | 147 km |
Stage 2 | May 9, 2026 | Burgas - Veliko Tarnovo | 221 km |
Stage 3 | May 10, 2026 | Plovdiv - Sofia | 175 km |
Stage 4 | May 12, 2026 | Catanzaro - Cosenza | 138 km |
Stage 5 | May 13, 2026 | Praia a Mare - Potenza | 203 km |
Stage 6 | May 14, 2026 | Paestum - Naples | 142 km |
Stage 7 | May 15, 2026 | Formia - Blockhouse | 244 km |
Stage 8 | May 16, 2026 | Chieti - Fermo | 156 km |
Stage 9 | May 17, 2026 | Cervia - Corno alle Scale | 184 km |
Stage 10 | May 19, 2026 | Viareggio - Massa (ITT) | 42 km |
Stage 11 | May 20, 2026 | Porcari - Chiavari | 195 km |
Stage 12 | May 21, 2026 | Imperia - Novi Ligure | 175 km |
Stage 13 | May 22, 2026 | Alessandria - Verbania | 189 km |
Stage 14 | May 23, 2026 | Aosta - Pila (Gressan) | 133 km |
Stage 15 | May 24, 2026 | Voghera - Milan | 157 km |
Stage 16 | May 26, 2026 | Bellinzona - Carì | 113 km |
Stage 17 | May 27, 2026 | Cassano d'Adda - Andalo | 202 km |
Stage 18 | May 28, 2026 | Fai della Paganella - Pieve di Soligo | 168 km |
Stage 19 | May 29, 2026 | Feltre - Alleghe (Pezzè Plains) | 151 km |
Stage 20 | May 30, 2026 | Gemona del Friuli 1976-2026 - Piancavallo | 200 km |
Stage 21 | May 31, 2026 | Rome - Rome | 131 km |
Giro d'Italia Records
Most overall wins: Fausto Coppi, Alfredo Binda, Eddy Merckx (five); Giovanni Brunero, Gino Bartali, Fiorenzo Magni, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault (three).
Most stage wins: Mario Cipollini (42), Alfredo Binda (41), Learco Guerra (31), Constance Girardengo (30), Eddy Merckx (25), Mark Cavendish (16)
Most mountain classification wins: Gino Bartali (seven); José Manuel Fuentes (four); Fausto Coppi, Franco Bitossi, Claudio Bortolotto, Claudio Chiappucci (three)
Most points classification wins: Francesco Moser, Giuseppe Saronni (four); Roger De Vlaeminck, Johan van der Velde, Mario Cipollini (three)
Most starts: Wladimir Panizza (18); Pierino Gavazzi, Domenico Pozzovivo (17)
Youngest winner: Fausto Coppi, 1940 (20 years and 268 days)
Oldest winner: Fiorenzo Magni, 1955 (34 years and 180 days)
Smallest margin of victory: 11 seconds (Fiorenzo Magni, 1948)
Largest margin of victory: 1:57:26 (Alfonso Calzolari, 1914)
Fastest edition: 2024 (41.866 kph)
Races
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Giro d'Italia8 May 2026 - 31 May 2026 | WorldTour

- Giro d'Italia 2026 route
- Jonas Vingegaard the clear frontrunner, but who will emerge as his biggest challenger? – Analysing the favourites for the Giro d'Italia
- Giro d'Italia past winners
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Stage 1 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 1 preview | Nessebar - Burgas2026-05-08 147km
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Stage 3 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 3 preview | Plovdiv - Sofia2026-05-10 175km
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Rest Day 12026-05-11
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Stage 4 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 4 preview | Catanzaro - Cosenza2026-05-12 138km
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Stage 6 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 6 preview | Paestum - Napoli2026-05-14 142km
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Stage 7 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 7 preview | Formia - Blockhaus2026-05-15 244km
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Stage 8 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 8 preview | Chieti - Fermo2026-05-16 156km
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Rest Day 22026-05-18
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Stage 10 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 10 preview | Viareggio - Massa (ITT)2026-05-19 40.2km
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Stage 11 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 11 preview | Porcari - Chiaveri2026-05-20 195km
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Stage 14 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 14 preview | Aosta - Pila2026-05-23 133km
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Stage 15 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 15 preview | Voghera - Milan2026-05-24 157km
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Rest Day 32026-05-25
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Stage 16 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 16 preview | Bellinzona - Carì2026-05-26 113km
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Stage 19 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 19 preview | Feltre - Alleghe2026-05-29 151km
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Stage 21 - 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 21 preview | Rome - Rome2026-05-31 131km
Latest Content on the Race

João Almeida skips Tour de France in favour of Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in 2026
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Tadej Pogačar to attempt fifth Tour title without Portuguese rider in support

Two-time Giro d'Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali floats the idea of rotating the Grand Tours on the schedule
By Lyne Lamoureux published
News Nibali takes Tadej Pogačar’s suggestion of swapping Giro and Vuelta a España a step further

Jonas Vingegaard vs Remco Evenepoel, or a second chance for Isaac del Toro? Riders we're hoping will race the Giro d'Italia in 2026
By Dani Ostanek published
Analysis A rundown of the big names we're hoping to see at next May's Corsa Rosa, including Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard

'Remco could do a very good San Remo, even Roubaix' – Pogačar welcomes potential added challenger Evenepoel to the Classics, but should he ride the Giro d'Italia instead?
By James Moultrie published
Analysis Which path should the Olympic Champion take after making a landmark move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe?

Quiz! How many Giro d'Italia winners can you name?
By Pete Trifunovic published
Quiz How well do you know the winners of Italy's three-week men's race?

Beyond the GC battle - The 2026 Giro d'Italia offers more than the fight for the maglia rosa - Analysis
By Stephen Farrand published
Analysis Numerous hilly stage finishes offer chances for Nys, Brennan, Magnier and other young talents to shine but will it be a dramatic year in the GC?

'We're not even going to think about the idea' – RCS firmly against Tadej Pogačar's suggestion to switch Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España dates
By Stephen Farrand published
News Italian race organiser only open to a one week move into June to benefit from better weather and Italian national holiday

'We're working on it' - Giro d'Italia organisers soften 2026 route in strategy to tempt Vingegaard, Evenepoel and other big names
By Stephen Farrand published
News "We're trying to set up a real battle between some 'grande campione" RCS Sport CEO Paolo Bellino tells Cyclingnews
Top News on the Race
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'It’s a new chapter for us' – Netcompany Ineos show off their new green-grey and orange colours in Bulgaria before Giro d'Italia
Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman confirmed as joint GC leaders for British squad -
'I want to win the Giro and make history' – Jonas Vingegaard targets Grand Tour trilogy at Giro d'Italia
'The Giro is more unpredictable. You've got to be ready for anything every day' says Dane -
Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari combine as Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe GC leaders to take on Jonas Vingegaard at Giro d'Italia
German teams opts for squad of rouleurs to protect team leaders
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'We still have big ambitions' - Adam Yates looks to emulate brother Simon as UAE Team Emirates leader for Giro d'Italia
Briton named as team leader in the absence of João Almeida as Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro focus on Tour de France -
'We Ride In Peace' - EF Education-EasyPost unveil green extraterrestrial-themed kit for Giro d'Italia
'If we’re going to change kits, it should actually say something' says team manager Jonathan Vaughters -
Lidl-Trek chase sprints, stages and the GC at the Giro d'Italia
German team have Jonathan Milan, Giulio Ciccone and Derek Gee-West as team leader
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NSN target sprint success at Giro d'Italia with Ethan Vernon and Corbin Strong
Jan Hirt leads top ten GC hopes with Alessandro Pinarello a stage hunter -
Jayco-AlUla unveil Giro d'Italia team with 'a chance at winning every stage', led by GC contender Ben O'Connor
Australian racer will be in contention for the podium, while Pascal Ackermann is the team's sprint option -
Soudal-QuickStep unveil cream Giro d'Italia jersey in tribute to 150 years of Castelli
Belgian squad get a new look for first Grand Tour of the season
Related Features
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Legendary duels, left-field business moves, and the role of La Gazzetta: How RCS turned the Giro d'Italia into a national treasure, and a billion Euro event
When the Corsa Rosa is on, it 'has the power to transform every day into a Sunday' for the Italian people, but how did a race launched to promote a newspaper become a global sporting event? -
'The stress just drains you' – What Jonas Vingegaard can expect from his first Giro d'Italia
Italian Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Edoardo Affini runs the rule over the Dane's Giro debut, and what exactly makes the Corsa Rosa so challenging -
Who could be the Isaac del Toro of this year's Giro d'Italia? There's one GC frontrunner, but there's plenty of chances for surprises too – Analysis
Behind Jonas Vingegaard, the wide open GC could see some unexpected riders in the battle for pink this May -
Adoring Italian fans, turning off social media, and playing FIFA on Mount Teide – Getting to know Giulio Pellizzari, the Giro d'Italia's home star ready to challenge Jonas Vingegaard
Cyclingnews sits down with Italy's champion-in-waiting ahead of his much anticipated Giro campaign, where he'll start as a serious challenger after a rapid rise to the top of cycling -
Inside Bulgaria's Giro d'Italia start: Marred by political turmoil and team disputes, can it still deliver a lasting legacy?
Cyclingnews takes a deeper look into a maligned yet fascinating foreign start for the 2026 Italian Grand Tour


































