The march across central Italy concludes Sunday with a third consecutive summit finish at this year's Giro d'Italia, this time at Corno alle Scale in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. A rest day follows on Monday, so expect attacks, even with tired legs and another reshuffle of the GC standings.
The GC shakeup actually began on stage 5 into Potenza, where Spain's Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won the hilly stage ahead of Portugal's Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious), who vaulted 30 spots into the maglia rosa. Two days later on the brutal Blockhaus stage 7 finish, there were more big GC shifts as Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) won the stage and moved to second overall, but Eulálio retained a solid lead. Stage 8 to Formo saw little movement, leaving stage 9 wide open for another combustible day.
Stage 9 rolls out from Cervia on the Adriatic sea with a non-imposing profile for the first 100 kilometres. The peloton crosses the Reno Valley and encounters a small uncategorised climb at Monte della Capanna, which signals an intermediate sprint 15km later and the uphill gradients beginning.
Once across gradual climbing into Silla 25km later, the final 28km provide most of the 2,400 vertical feet of climbing for the finale. The major climbs begin from Silla to Querciola, an 11.3km ascent that averages 4.3%. That is a third-category climb, but the toughest part is the opening 3.5km section, which uses the road to Gaggio Montano that holds at 7.2%.
After Querciola, a short 3km descent delivers the final chapter, the category one Madonna dell'Ascero - 10.8m of uphill tarmac with gradients reaching 15%. At the base of the climb is the Red Bull Kilometre. The full length of the mountain road with numerous bends and hairpins averages nearly 6%, with the steepest pitches in the final 3km, and a 10-15% gradient only easing just before the finish line.
The Italian Grand Tour has only finished on the Corno alle Scale in one addition, where two-time Giro champion Gilberto Simone soloed to victory in 2004 and put on the maglia rosa again. The victory was very early in that year's Giro, stage 3, and he would finish third overall, giving way to teammate Damiano Cunego, who took his one and only Grand Tour title.
Expect to see another round of intrigue atop the ski resort in the Bologna area on Sunday, where high drama could match the high summit, which sits at 1,471 metres above sea level.
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Stage 9 profile at the 2026 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: RCS Sport)
Route map for stage 9 at the 2026 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: RCS Sport)
Mountains
Querciola (cat. 3, 11.3km at 4.3%, max. 15%), km. 167.4
Corno alle Scale (cat. 1, 10.8km at 6.1%, max. 15%), km. 184
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.
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