2026 Giro d'Italia stage 12 preview

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Stage 12 - May 21, 2026: Imperia - Novi Ligure, 175 km

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Route information for the 2026 Giro d'Italia
(Image credit: RCS Sport)

Start time: 13:05 CET

Sprinters should return to the forefront on stage 12. Dubbed a reverse Milan-San Remo, the 177km route sets off from the Ligurian coast in Imperia, crosses the mountains for a finish in Novi Ligure, where Caleb Ewan won the last time the Corsa Rosa visited in 2019.

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Instead of climbing the Passo del Turchino used in the famous Classic, the stage tackles the harder Colle Giovo and the Bric Berton ascents before descending into the Po Valley but the 52km of descending and flat roads give the sprint teams plenty of time to chase the breakaway.

Mountains

  • Colle Giovo (cat. 3), km. 107.5
  • Bric Berton (cat. 3), km. 123

Sprints

  • Red Bull kilometre: km. 160.6 - 161.6
  • Sprint: Stella, km. 100.7
Lyne Lamoureux
Lyne Lamoureux

Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites. 

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