Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 3: route, favourites and where to watch it on TV

The final stage on Bulgarian soil connects the country’s two largest cities: Plovdiv and the capital, Sofia. The riders will roll out from the former and finish in the latter after 175 kilometres, with the climb of the Borovets Pass providing the main challenge midway through the stage.
Still, it looks difficult to avoid a sprint finish on the roads of the capital. After that, it will be time to say goodbye – and благодаря – to Bulgaria before the Giro packs up, boards the plane and heads back to Italy.

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The Route

The stage can be split into two distinct sections: the first gradually rises all the way to the KOM at the Borovets ski resort (Cat. 2, 9.2 km at 5.4%), with the summit coming 72 kilometres from the finish, while the second half trends gently downhill all the way to Sofia. With wide roads and very few technical challenges, the Bulgarian trilogy looks set to conclude – barring surprises – with another bunch sprint.

The Favourites

The sprint on Stage 1 was heavily disrupted by the crash, but the main favourites remain the riders who were at the sharp end in Burgas. Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) is flying and full of confidence after his opening-stage victory, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) will be desperate for redemption after missing out, while Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) once again looks perfectly suited to a fast finish.

After their crashes and physical setbacks, the condition of Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), Kaden Groves (Alpecin-PremierTech) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Intermarché) will need to be closely monitored, although all three are expected to try and contest the sprint if their legs allow. Also keep an eye on Ethan Vernon (NSN), Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana), Giovanni Lonardi (Polti VisitMalta), Enrico Zanoncello (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ United) and Pascal Ackermann (Jayco AlUla).

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 8 p.m. the day before the stage until 10 a.m. on race day.)

Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 3: Schedule & TV Coverage

Plovdiv – Sofia, 175 km
Start: 11:45 a.m.
KM 0: 11:55 a.m.
LIVE coverage begins: 9:30 a.m.
Expected finish: around 4:15 p.m.

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 midnight, 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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