Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 20: route, favourites and where to watch on TV

The moment of truth has arrived. Piancavallo will be the final climb of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, and the riders will have to tackle it twice before the peloton can finally relax and enjoy the ceremonial ride into Rome.

The 2026 Giro d’Italia features a brutally demanding penultimate stage: the double ascent of the Friulian climb, after three weeks of racing, represents one last major obstacle. Although Jonas Vingegaard appears to have all but secured the Maglia Rosa, caution will be required until the very final metre of this stage.

For this twentieth stage, the Giro d’Italia will also pay tribute to the memory and history of the region with a special Maglia Rosa carrying strong symbolic value. Created in collaboration with Castelli, partner of RCS Sport, the jersey is dedicated to the victims of the May 6, 1976 earthquake and features the historic message: “Il Friuli ringrazia e non dimentica” (“Friuli thanks and does not forget”).

Unveiled on 30 May, the commemorative jersey will feature prominently during the day’s most visible moments: it will be worn by the leader of the general classification during the Gemona del Friuli–Piancavallo stage and presented to the stage winner on the final podium.

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The Route

After the start in Gemona del Friuli, the peloton will face a Category 3 KOM in Clauzetto. The route then features a long stretch of rolling terrain leading into the first ascent of Piancavallo: the climb begins from Aviano and consists of 14.5 km at an average gradient of 7.8%. Following the descent, the riders will pass by Lake Barcis before returning to Aviano for a second ascent of Piancavallo, where the stage will finish at the summit of the Friulian climb. The riders will cover an exact total of 200 kilometres.

The Favourites

Jonas Vingegaard and Visma | Lease a Bike undoubtedly start as the overwhelming favourites for the stage victory. The Danish rider could claim his fifth individual win and the team’s sixth success, following Sepp Kuss’ triumph at Piani di Pezzè.

It is worth speaking of Visma | Lease a Bike as a collective, as it cannot be ruled out that a rider such as Bart Lemmen may be given freedom to chase the stage win. Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Jai Hindley (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) must also be considered among the favourites due to their general classification ambitions. However, another successful breakaway remains a realistic possibility, and perhaps this could finally be the day for Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) — potentially combining a stage-hunting effort with further points to strengthen his Maglia Azzurra and secure a long-awaited victory.

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 8:00 p.m. on the day before the stage until 10:00 a.m.).

Giro d'Italia 2026, Stage 20: schedule and TV coverage

Gemona del Friuli 1976-2026 – Piancavallo (200 km)
Sign-on opens: 9:30 AM
Live coverage: from 9:30 AM
Riders’ assembly / neutral start: 11:00 AM
Km 0: 11:15 AM
Expected finish: 4:0 AM

TV: As usual, RAI will provide free-to-air coverage of every race day for the Italian audience. The television schedule begins with one hour of “Giro Mattina” on Rai Sport HD, featuring rider presentations and pre-race interviews, followed by “Prima Diretta” on the same channel, covering the start of the stage until 14:00. For the key moments of the day, coverage moves to Rai 2, with “Giro in Diretta” running until 16:15, immediately followed by “Giro all’Arrivo” for the decisive phases through 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 channel. Rai Sport HD also offers “TGiro” from 20:00, featuring interviews, reports and commentary, and “Ri-Giro” at midnight, allowing the most dedicated fans to relive the key moments of the stage in detail. In addition, the race will be broadcast live in full on Eurosport and the on-demand platforms Discovery+ and HBO MaxTV.

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