Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 4: route, favourites and where to watch it on TV

Italy is ready to welcome the Giro back on the roads of Calabria! After an exciting three-day start in Bulgaria, racing resumes with the 138-kilometre Catanzaro–Cosenza, a stage that looks both intriguing and wide open. Will it end in a bunch sprint? Hard to say. The climb of Cozzo Tunno has all the ingredients to put the pure sprinters under pressure and shake things up before the finale. One thing’s for sure – this is a stage to follow from start to finish.

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The Route

A short, fast and tactically intriguing stage awaits. The riders roll out from Catanzaro and head towards Lamezia Terme without any major climbing difficulties, before continuing along the Tyrrhenian coast on wide, flowing roads.
After San Lucido, the race tackles the tricky Cozzo Tunno climb (Category 2, 14.5 km at 5.9%), with the summit coming 43 kilometres from the finish. This could be the key point of the day, where teams may try to raise the pace and distance the pure sprinters.
A long descent follows into the Crati plain, before the riders head into Cosenza, where the finish comes on a slight uphill drag, 450 metres at 3.7%.

The Favourites

Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) is in flying form, and the slightly uphill finish in Cosenza could suit him even better than the opening stages. On a finale like this, Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Ethan Vernon (NSN) should also feel at home, but don’t underestimate the hunger of a frustrated Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), still searching for his first win of the Giro.

Also expected to be in the mix are Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), Madis Mihkels (EF Education-EasyPost), Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana), Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility), Kaden Groves (Alpecin-PremierTech) and Pascal Ackermann (Jayco AlUla).
If the race turns more selective over Cozzo Tunno, keep an eye as well on Corbin Strong (NSN) and Orluis Aular (Movistar).

Predict the winner with our ‘stage winner Predictor’. CLICK HERE, head to the FanZone and earn one entry into the final prize draw of the Join the FanZone Challenge for every vote you cast. (Voting is open from 20:00 the day before the stage until 10:00 on race day).

Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 4: Schedule, key info and how to watch on TV

Catanzaro > Cosenza
Distance: 138 km
Elevation gain: 1,800 metres

Sign-on opens: 12:10 p.m.
Riders’ line-up: 1:40 p.m.
KM 0: 1:55 p.m.
Expected finish: 5:15 p.m.

Maglia Azzurra points: 18 (all available at Cozzo Tunno, Category 2 climb)
Maglia Ciclamino points: 62 (50 at the finish line, 12 at the intermediate sprint in San Lucido)

TV: As always, RAI will bring every stage of the Giro d’Italia live and free-to-air to Italian viewers. The day’s coverage begins with an hour of Giro Mattina on Rai Sport HD, featuring rider presentations and pre-race interviews, followed by Prima Diretta on the same channel to cover the start of the stage through to 14:00. For the key moments of the day, coverage shifts to Rai 2 with Giro in Diretta until 16:15, followed immediately by Giro all’Arrivo, bringing viewers through the decisive phases of the stage right to the finish line. Straight afterwards comes the traditional post-stage analysis show Processo alla Tappa, usually lasting around 45 minutes, without the need to change channels. The coverage on Rai Sport HD is completed by TGiro from 20:00, featuring interviews, reports and analysis, and Ri-Giro at 00:00, offering die-hard fans a full recap of the stage’s key moments. The race will also be broadcast live in full on Eurosport and streamed on Discovery+ and HBO Max.

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