Traps and pitfalls run through all three weeks of racing, but as always, the Giro d’Italia 2026 features key stages that the general classification contenders – the ones dreaming of wearing the Maglia Rosa in Rome – have already circled in red. One thing is immediately clear: whoever wants to win this Giro will have to be sharp from the very start, as the first week already features two tough summit finishes.
After the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria and the opening Italian stages through Calabria, Basilicata and Campania – likely to feature only minor skirmishes among the favourites – the first real test comes on Stage 7, from Formia to the Blockhaus.
Beyond the iconic summit finish on the slopes of the Maiella massif, the stage will be made even more selective by its length: at nearly 250 km, the longest of this 109th Giro. In the final 80 km, riders must also climb Roccaraso (Cat. 2) and the Passo San Leonardo (Cat. 3), but the showdown will almost certainly come on the Blockhaus, where Jai Hindley took stage win in 2022 before claiming overall victory.
The final climb stretches 13.6 km at an average of 8.4%: the perfect opportunity to test rival legs early and expose any weaknesses, with the heavy mileage adding even more difficulty.
Two days later comes another stage requiring total attention from the GC contenders. Starting from Cervia on the Romagna Riviera, the route heads into the Bolognese Apennines for a summit finish at Corno alle Scale, where Gilberto Simoni triumphed in 2004. The peloton will cross the Po Valley before tackling Querciola (Cat. 3) and finally the climb to Corno alle Scale: 12.8 km at 6.1%, but with the last 3 km consistently at 10%, perfect terrain for explosive climbers to gain precious seconds on the more diesel-style riders.
After enjoying a well-earned rest day, another decisive chapter arrives: Stage 10, the only time trial of the 2026 Giro d’Italia. A 40 km flat-out effort from Viareggio to Massa, without a single metre of climbing. Big gear ratios, pure power. For TT specialists, it will be a golden opportunity to gain time; for everyone else, a day of controlled suffering. But as we shall see, there will be plenty of terrain later to strike back.
Following a few transitional days that should favour sprinters and stage hunters, the climbers return to centre stage on Stage 14, entirely in the Aosta Valley, from Aosta to Pila, with 4,400 metres of elevation gain and a mountain of points available for the Maglia Azzurra. The day opens immediately with the long ascent to Saint-Barthélémy (Cat. 1, 18.1 km at 5.4%), followed by the KOM climbs of Doues (Cat. 3), Lin Noir (Cat. 1, 7.5 km at 7.8%), and Verrogne (Cat. 2). But the decisive moment will come on the final climb to Pila: 17 km rising steadily at 7%. This is the only major mountain stage of week two, making attacks are not only possible, but close to certain.
A similar stage – though shorter, at under 120 km – awaits right after the third and final rest day. This time the action unfolds entirely in the Swiss Canton of Ticino, from Bellinzona to Carì. Mid-stage, riders will race a double circuit through Roccabella, featuring the climbs of Torre (Cat. 3) and Leontica (Cat. 2). Short stages favour tight control, so the GC contenders may well fight for both the stage win and the Maglia Rosa on the final ascent to Carì (Cat. 1, 11.6 km at 8.1%).
Then comes the decisive two-day finale, where everything built so far can be overturned.
Stage 19 is the most captivating: the great Dolomite stage at 2,000 metres, where stories and legends are written. From Feltre to Piani di Pezzè, riders face a monstrous 5,000 metres of climbing, tackling Passo Duran (Cat. 1, 12.1 km at 8.2%), Coi (Cat. 2), Forcella Staulanza (Cat. 2), the iconic Passo Giau – this year’s Cima Coppi at 2,233 metres (9.9 km at 9.3%) – and then Passo Falzarego (Cat. 2, 10.3 km at 5.4%).
If that isn’t enough, from Alleghe begins the final ramp to Pian di Pezzè: short but vicious, 4.9 km at 9.9%.
After such a stage, riders will be emptied and exhausted, but will need to summon one last drop of strength for Stage 20, with the decisive double ascent of Piancavallo.
Starting in Gemona del Friuli, the peloton tackles the KOM of Clauzetto (Cat. 3) mid-stage before heading to the first ascent of Piancavallo (Cat. 1, 14.5 km at 7.8%), with an extremely tough opening section. After cresting with just over 50 km to go, the route descends towards Lake Barcis and returns to Aviano, where the athletes climb Piancavallo again – a summit that, over the years, has crowned the likes of Pantani, Landa and Geoghegan Hart. This will be the final climb of the Giro. After that, the fight for the Maglia Rosa will truly be over.
Discover the details of all the stages of the Giro d’Italia 2026!
