Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 7: route, favourites and where to watch on TV

It’s time for the first major mountain showdown of the 2026 Giro d’Italia: from Formia to Blockhaus, over a gruelling 245 kilometres, comes the longest stage of this year’s race. The iconic Abruzzese climb has become a true classic of the Corsa Rosa – first conquered by Eddy Merckx in 1967, while the last rider to triumph here was Jai Hindley in 2022, a victory that proved to be the prelude to his eventual Giro success. The first major mountain test of a Grand Tour always brings surprises and heartbreak. As the saying goes: “You can’t win the Giro here, but you can certainly lose it.” And that is exactly why we should expect fireworks.

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The Route

An epic Apennine mountain stage and the longest of the Giro, this route begins along the Lower Lazio coastline, passing through Sperlonga and Gaeta before looping back through Formia and heading north. After Venafro, the race turns inland towards Rionero Sannitico and Castel di Sangro, before tackling the first major climb to Roccaraso (Category 2, 6.9 km at 6.5%). From there, the peloton crests the Passo di San Leonardo and plunges into a long descent towards Roccamorice, where the 13-kilometre final ascent begins. Despite its name sounding more like an Alpine summit on the Austrian border, Blockhaus rises dramatically from the Maiella massif in central Italy.

The name dates back to the 19th century, coined by an Austrian military commander stationed there with a platoon of soldiers, where around 1863, in post-unification Italy, a wooden fort with a rectangular stone base was built to combat brigand activity. Today, it stands as one of the Giro d’Italia’s great modern climbing tests and, at 13.6 km at 8.4%, Blockhaus is the real deal – brutal, demanding and highly selective. It will also be the first officially timed climb of this Giro d’Italia.

The Favourites

For the first time in this 2026 Giro d’Italia, the contenders for the Maglia Rosa are called into the spotlight. Jonas Vingegaard is in the perfect position to strike an early blow, as he could win the stage without necessarily taking the Maglia Rosa just yet, given that Afonso Eulálio still holds a lead of more than six minutes and could realistically hang on for a few more days.

Trying to follow the Dane’s wheel will be Giulio Pellizzari, Jai Hindley, Felix Gall, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Ben O’Connor, Michael Storer, Enric Mas, Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman. There is also huge anticipation surrounding local favourite and former Maglia Rosa, Giulio Ciccone

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

Giro d’Italia 2026, Stage 7: Schedule and TV Coverage

Formia – Blockhaus, 244 km
LIVE opens: 09:20 a.m.
Start: 10:50 a.m.
KM 0: 10:55 a.m.
Expected finish: around 4:55 p.m.

TV: As usual, RAI will provide free-to-air coverage of every stage of the Giro d’Italia for viewers in Italy. The day begins with “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 until 14:00. For the key moments of the race, coverage moves to Rai 2, with “Giro in Diretta” until 16:15, followed immediately by “Giro all’Arrivo”, taking viewers through the decisive phases of the stage right to the finish line. Straight after comes the traditional post-stage analysis show, “Il Processo alla Tappa”, usually lasting around 45 minutes without the need to switch channels. The day concludes on Rai Sport HD with “TGiro” at 20:00, featuring interviews, highlights and commentary, while the most dedicated fans can relive every key moment with “Ri-Giro” at 00:00. The race will also be broadcast live in full on Eurosport, as well as on streaming platforms Discovery+ and HBO Max.

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