If the GranPiemonte 2026 were a stage of a Grand Tour, there would be a good chance of it ending in a sprint from a fairly sizeable group. Not because the route lacks climbing – there are still 2,600 metres of elevation gain – but because the positioning and overall difficulty of the climbs are unlikely to strike too much fear into the peloton. Then again, this is a Classic steeped in history, where every opportunity and every climb, however manageable, can provide the perfect launchpad for a rider chasing a major victory.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG, for example, will line up with defending champion Isaac Del Toro and new world champion Brandon McNulty: hard to imagine them simply sitting back and watching the race unfold. They do have a fast finisher in Jhonatan Narváez, a three-time Giro stage winner this year, should it come down to a sprint, but Del Toro and McNulty will surely be keen to test their legs ahead of Il Lombardia.
Discover all the key riders at GranPiemonte presented by Crédit Agricole 2026
