Last year, the Giro d’Italia gave us the heartwarming story of up-and-coming star Isaac del Toro, and an unforgettable tale of redemption for Simon Yates that put the final touches on his incredible career.
The year before, Tadej Pogacar won the Giro as part of a dominant 2024 that saw him become the first rider since 1998 to win the Giro and the Tour de France in the same season.
And those are just two of 108 previous editions of a race that has provided countless memories since debuting in 1909.
Now, there’s no reason to expect anything less from the Giro d’Italia 2026, which will be the first of this season’s three Grand Tours and keep us glued to our screens from May 8-31.
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Even with more than a century of history, the Giro d’Italia is going to experience another first in 2026 when it begins in Nessebar, Bulgaria.
The venture is a bit strategic for race organizers, who are able to expose more places and people to the excitement of professional cycling by bringing the races to areas beyond the familiar terrain the events have traveled for so many decades.
In recent years, the expanding reach of the Giro has been celebrated by bring the official start of the race to a variety of locations – Jerusalem (2018), Budapest, Hungary (2022), Durres, Albania (2025) and now Bulgaria, marking the 16th foreign start in race history and first in Eastern Europe.
Read more: Giro d'Italia 2026 Route Map, Details
The riders will spend the first three stages of the 2026 race taking in the Bulgarian scenery, including a trek along the coast of the Black Sea and a journey through the area’s vast mountain ranges.
The remainder of the 21 stages will take place in the race’s country of origin, Italy, with many of the mountain ranges and climbs that have become synonymous with the Giro. That means to find success on the route, riders first must be excellent climbers, but versatile and strong mentally at the same time.
When the final day arrives, it typically is more of a celebratory and ceremonial day on the bikes that brings the competitors into the Italian capital of Rome for 130-140 kilometers of less-challenging terrain.
That means, in most cases, it is understood that the rider in the pink jersey at the end of Stage 20 will be the one hoisting the trophy the next day, barring a disaster. It’s tradition, but nothing is guaranteed until everyone has crossed the finish line.
Last season, Yates came away with the pink jersey as the winner of the Giro d’Italia 2025 by almost four minutes, but that only came after he catapulted from third place to well ahead of Del Toro, who had been wearing the pink jersey for almost two weeks.
To read more about who will be lining up at the Giro d’Italia 2026, check out our other race preview: How To Watch The Giro d’Italia 2026
Hopefully, you finish that story invested in the latest running of the Giro and want to follow along to see what storylines develop and who finds the spotlight this year.
So you can plan your month, here’s a look at the schedule 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.
More History Of The Giro d’Italia
For nearly half of a century, the Giro d’Italia started in Italy and finished in Milan.
By starting the race in other locations, including 15 previous foreign starts, it allows the organizers to expand the footprint of the race and the sport. And, what could be more special than your final destination being the beautiful city of Rome.
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!
Inside Isaac Del Toro's Giro d'Italia Nightmare
The Finestre in Stage 20 broke Isaac Del Toro’s Giro d'Italia dream.
Simon Yates attacked, UAE crumbled. Gregor Brown reveals how it all fell apart.
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