In just a few months, we’ve been able to enjoy some unforgettable one-day races, prestigious Monuments, heated rivalries and historic performances.
Now, it’s time for the first major stage race of the year, the Giro d’Italia 2026.
It’s the 109th edition of the famed Giro, and it will run from May 8 through May 31, with many of the world’s top riders chasing glory across the entire Italian “boot” over 21 challenging stages. Oh, along with a few days in Bulgaria, including the Grand Partenza (or departure), which marks the 16th foreign start in the history of the Giro.
The first three days of the Giro d'Italia 2026 will allow the riders and fans to see much of the Bulgarian landscape before the races crosses into Italy.
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Last season, veteran Simon Yates came away with the pink jersey as the winner of the Giro d’Italia 2025 by almost four minutes, but the race also featured the breakthrough of Mexico’s Isaac del Toro, a likely star of the next generation of cycling, as he’s only 22.
Mads Pedersen also had a memorable Giro in 2025, winning four stages and securing the purple/ciclamino points jersey.
For those wondering if Yates will be back in Italy to defend his title, no, he won’t. Seven months after the biggest win of his career, he announced he was retiring from professional cycling. However, his twin brother, Adam, is expected to compete, so perhaps he can keep the title in the family.
It also is likely that Del Toro won’t be present either, as he is eyeing the Tour de France in July, where he will ride in support of defending champion Tadej Pogacar. Hopefully. Why? Because Del Toro suffered a tear in his thigh muscle after a fall at the Itzulia Basque Country 2026 in early April.
Among the favorites to challenge for the General Classification in 2026 will be two-time Tour de France winner and Vuelta a España 2025 champion Jonas Vingegaard, who will be making his first bid for the coveted Maglia Rosa.
João Almeida, Ben O’Connor and last year’s third- and fourth-place finishers, Richard Carapaz and Derek Gee, are expected to compete, too.
Pedersen appears to be headed for the Tour de France, as well, and with the two races being so close together, only the most elite riders are able to take on both challenges in the same year, including Pogacar, who won the Giro and the TDF in 2024.
The top prospects for the ciclamino jersey, most often won by a sprinter, are Kaden Groves, Jonathan Milan and Dylan Groenewegen.
A Short History Of The Giro d’Italia
The inaugural edition of the Giro d'Italia was held in 1909. In the previous 108 years of Giro competition, 22 riders have won more than once, with three owning five victories – Italians Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi and legend Eddy Merckx of Belgium.
Italy is the only country with more than three wins at the Giro d’Italia, claiming the overall title a staggering 69 times. The next closest is Belgium with seven.
The other two Grand Tours on the calendar – the Tour de France (July 4-26) and La Vuelta (Aug. 22-Sept. 13) – still are ahead and account for another 42 days of action, so we’re just getting started!
How To Watch The Giro d’Italia 2026
The Giro d’Italia 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in Canada.
Highlights, race replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
In the United States, HBO Max will be the official provider for the Giro d’Italia 2026.
Giro d’Italia 2026 Schedule
- Stage 1 - May 8: Nessebar - Burgas (147km)
- Stage 2 - May 9: Burgas - Veliko Tarnovo (221km)
- Stage 3 - May 10: Plovdiv - Sofia (175km)
- Rest day - May 11
- Stage 4 - May 12: Catanzaro - Cosenza (138km)
- Stage 5 - May 13: Praia a Mare - Potenza (203km)
- Stage 6 - May 14: Paestum - Naples (142km)
- Stage 7 - May 15: Formia - Blockhaus (244km)
- Stage 8 - May 16: Chieti - Fermo (156km)
- Stage 9 - May 17: Cervia - Corno alle Scale (184km)
- Rest day - May 18
- Stage 10 - May 19: Viareggio - Massa (42km ITT)
- Stage 11 - May 20: Porcari (Paper District) - Chiavari (195km)
- Stage 12 - May 21: Imperia - Novi Ligure (175km)
- Stage 13 - May 22: Alessandria - Verbania (189km)
- Stage 14 - May 23: Aosta - Pila (Gressan) (133km)
- Stage 15 - May 24: Voghera - Milano (157km)
- Rest day - May 25
- Stage 16 - May 26: Bellinzona - Carì (113km)
- Stage 17 - May 27: Cassano d’Adda - Andalo (202km)
- Stage 18 - May 28: Fai della Paganella - Pieve di Soligo (171km)
- Stage 19 - May 29: Feltre - Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) (151km)
- Stage 20 - May 30: Gemona del Friuli 1976-2026 - Piancavallo (200km)
- Stage 21 - May 31: Rome - Rome (131km)
The total distance for 2026 is 3,468 kilometers, with an average of 165 kilometers per day and a total altitude gain of 48,700 meters.
How To Watch The Giro d’Italia 2026
The Giro d’Italia 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in Canada.
Highlights, race replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
In the United States, HBO Max will be the official provider for the Giro d’Italia 2026.
When Does The Giro d’Italia 2026 Start?
The Giro d’Italia 2026 starts May 8 and will conclude May 31.
The schedule includes 21 stages and three rest days (May 11, May 18, May 25).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
How Long Is The Giro d’Italia 2026?
The route for the Giro d’Italia 2026 can be found here.
The race is 21 stages and will cover 3,468 kilometers.
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Giro d’Italia?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Giro d’Italia.
Who Won The Giro d’Italia In 2025?
At 32 years old, Great Britain’s Simon Yates made history at the Giro d’Italia, not because of his age, but because he won the race without winning any of the 21 stages. It was the first time that happened since Alberto Contador did so a decade earlier.
It was the second Grand Tour victory for Yates, who won the Vuelta a España in 2018, and it will be his last, as he announced his retirement seven months after winning the Giro.
Yates didn’t secure the coveted pink jersey until Stage 20, when he shot past Richard Carapaz and longtime leader Isaac Del Toro on the Colle delle Finistre climb, one of the most anticipated challenges on the cycling calendar. The same climb broke Yates in his attempt to win the Giro in 2018.
Del Toro, who had ridden in pink for 11 days, might have fallen short in his GC bid, but he became the first athlete from North America to win the Best Young Rider title.
Heading into Stage 20, Del Toro was 43 seconds ahead of Carapaz and 1 minute, 21 seconds in front of Yates. By the end of the day, Yates was nearly four minutes clear of Del Toro, with Carapaz another minute back.
In 2024, Tadej Pogacar won the Giro d’Italia in 2024 as part of a memorable season that saw him become the first rider since 1998 to win the Giro and the Tour de France in the same season.
He then added a win at the 2024 World Championships in Switzerland to became the first cyclist since 1987 to win the Giro, TDF and a world championship in the same season.
Modern Cycling Domination: Tadej Pogacar Crushes Tour Of Flanders 2026
Tadej Pogacar wins Tour of Flanders for a third time, continuing a perfect 2026 season, while Remco Evenepoel impresses in third place. Gregor Brown reports from Belgium on Pogacar’s growing legacy, now three for three this season.
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