The Giro d’Italia will begin outside Italy for the 16th time in 2026, but for the first time ever the race will visit Eastern Europe. Stage 1 on May 8 starts in the historic city of Nessebar, Bulgaria, and finishes in Burgas along the Black Sea coast. The 147-kilometer stage is expected to favor the sprinters as the race awards its first Maglia Rosa of 2026.
Fans in Canada can watch Stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia 2026 for free on the FloBikes Youtube page. Coverage begins at 6:40 a.m. Eastern and includes live racing, highlights, replays and breaking news from the opening stage in Bulgaria.
- More Info About How To Catch All The Best Cycling, News And Highlights
- Giro d’Italia 2026 Schedule
- Giro d'Italia 2026 Route Map, Details
- Revenge For Remco Evenepoel: Conquers Amstel Gold Race 2026
- Anders Foldager Wins Brabantse Pijl 2026 In Breakthrough Victory
After three stages in Bulgaria, the Giro d’Italia will return to Italy for the remainder of the race before ending in Rome on May 31.
Watch Stage 1 Of The 2026 Giro d'Italia Live Stream For Free In Canada
Stage 1: Giro d’Italia 2026
While it would be easy to get distracted during this ride along the coast of the Black Sea, in one of the oldest cities in Europe, the competitors must remain focused on their 147-kilometer ride from Nessebar to Burgas.
The journey will be on the flatter side and includes a 22-kilometer circuit they’ll ride twice in the middle of the stage. The main unknown is how the winds along the coast will affect the opening stage, if at all.
It is most likely that the first rider who gets to wear the pink leader’s jersey, the Maglia Rosa, in 2026 will be a sprinter, as Stage 1 is expected to end with a bunch sprint on a wide road in the center of Burgas.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 1 Of The Giro d’Italia 2026?
Stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia 2026 is 147 kilometers, or approximately 91.34 miles long.
Giro d’Italia 2026 Stage 1 Profile
Here is what the elevation looks like for Stage 1:
How To Watch The Giro d’Italia 2026 Stage 1
The Giro d’Italia 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in Canada. Stage 1 is also streaming for free on the FloBikes Youtube page 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.
Who Won Stage 1 Of The Giro d’Italia In 2025?
Last year, Albania played host for the first time, and the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia 2025 was won by Denmark’s Mads Pedersen in memorable sprint that earn him the opportunity to wear the pink jersey in Stage 2.
It was the 51st career win for Pedersen and his second at the Giro d’Italia, after one in 2023. He also has won stages at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.
The 2025 Giro started with 184 riders, but the number was one less for Stage 2 after Mikel Landa crashed out just 5 kilometers from the finish in Stage 1.
Pedersen ended up winning four stages in 2025 – Stage 1, 3, 5 and 13 – and took home the purple/ciclamino jersey as the leader of the Points Classification at the end of the 21 days.
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.
What Is The Schedule For The Giro d’Italia 2026?
Here is the complete schedule for the Giro d’Italia 2026.
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.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin-Premier Tech
- Bahrain Victorious
- Bardiani CSF 7 Saber
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama-FDJ United
- INEOS Grenadiers
- Lidl – Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull – Bora - Hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic Postnl
- Team Polti VisitMalta
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates XRG
- Unibet Rose Rockets
- UNO-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
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.
The Giro d’Italia's Quiet Power Move For 2026
The 2026 Giro d’Italia route looks designed to attract cycling’s biggest stars with fewer extremes, a long time trial and wide-open GC possibilities.
Catch All The Best Races, Highlights, Insight, News And More On FloBikes
FloBikes is the streaming home to some of the best cycling from across the globe. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more of your favorites in action.
FloBikes Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBikes subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.