The 2026 Giro d'Italia started in Bulgaria with a sprint win for Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-step) on stage one. It's the race's third foreign Grande Partenza in five years as organisers RCS continue to look beyond Italy's borders for places to host the race's opening weekend. The prestigious three-week, 21-stage race is the opener in the trio of Grand Tours, followed by the Tour de France in July and the Vuelta a España in August.
After three days on Bulgarian soil and an extra, early rest day on Monday, the route returns to southern Italy, from where it gradually makes it's way north to the mountains and the crucial final week of racing. See our 2026 Giro d'Italia route page for analysis of every stage.
Giro d'Italia 2026: Key details
Date | 8 - 31 May |
Total distance | 3459km |
Number of stages | 21 |
Start location | Nessebar, Bulgaria |
Finish location | Rome, Italy |
UCI ranking | WorldTour |
Edition | 109th |
Total climbing / elevation gain | 49,150m |
Leader's jersey colour | Pink (Maglia Rosa) |
Last winner | Simon Yates (GBr) |
TV coverage (UK) | TNT Sports |
TV coverage (US) | Max |
The peloton rides through Rome on Stage 21 of the Giro d'Italia 2024
Giro d'Italia 2026: The route
Giro d'Italia 2026 route. Image credit: RCS.
The Giro d'Italia 2026 begins with three stages in Bulgaria, as already announced, starting on 8 May, before 18 stages from the south to the north of Italy, via Naples, the Apennines, Milan, the Alps and the Dolomites. The 109th Giro finishes in Rome on 31 May.
Read more: Giro d'Italia 2026 route | Giro d'Italia 2926 start list | Giro d'Italia 2026 contenders
Giro d'Italia 2026: Stage-by-stage table
Stage | Day | Start | Finish | Distance | Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 May | Nessebar (Bulgaria) | Burgas (Bulgaria) | 156km | Flat |
2 | 9 May | Burgas (Bulgaria) | Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria) | 220km | Hilly |
3 | 10 May | Plovdiv (Bulgaria) | Sofia (Bulgaria) | 174km | Flat |
4 | 12 May | Catanzaro | Cosenza | 144km | Flat |
5 | 13 May | Praia a Mare | Potenza | 204km | Hilly |
6 | 14 May | Paestum | Napoli | 161km | Flat |
7 | 15 May | Formia | Blockhaus | 246km | Mountains |
8 | 16 May | Chieti | Fermo | 159km | Medium mountains |
9 | 17 May | Cervia | Corno alle Scale | 184km | Mountains |
10 | 19 May | Viareggio | Massa | 40.2km | ITT |
11 | 20 May | Porcari | Chiavari | 178km | Hilly |
12 | 21 May | Imperia | Novi Ligure | 177km | Flat |
13 | 22 May | Alessandria | Verbania | 186km | Hilly |
14 | 23 May | Aosta | Pila | 133km | Mountains |
15 | 24 May | Voghera | Milan | 136km | Flat |
16 | 26 May | Bellinzona (Switzerland) | Carì (Switzerland) | 113km | Mountains |
17 | 27 May | Cassano d'Adda | Andalo | 100km | Hilly |
18 | 28 May | Fai della Paganella | Pieve di Soligo | 166km | Hilly |
19 | 29 May | Feltre | Alleghe | 151km | Mountains |
20 | 30 May | Gemona del Friuli | Piancavallo | 199km | Mountains |
21 | 31 May | Rome | Rome | 131km | Flat |
Giro d'Italia 2026: The jerseys
The rider wearing the pink jersey (maglia rosa) leads the general classification. This is the rider who has accumulated the fastest time around the route so far, inclusive of time bonuses collected. On the final day, it is awarded to the overall general classification winner along with the Trofeo Senza Fine.
There are other jerseys up for grabs too. The purple (ciclamino) jersey is awarded to the rider who has accumulated the most points. More points are offered at the end of flatter, punchier stages than on mountain finishes, so this is a jersey for the sprinters. The blue (azzura) jersey goes to the rider who accumulates the most points on classified climbs, and the white (bianca) jersey is like the pink jersey but given to the best young rider under 26.
Read about the Giro d'Italia jerseys here.
More about the Giro d'Italia 2026
- Giro d'Italia 2026 full route details
- Giro d'Italia 2026 startlist
- Giro d'Italia 2026 GC contenders
- Giro d'Italia jerseys
- How much prize money does the winner of the Giro d'Italia get?
- How to watch the Giro d'Italia
Stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia 2024, to Bassano del Grappa
Giro d'Italia: Past winners
Year | Winner | Country | Team |
2025 | Simon Yates | Great Britain | Visma-Lease a Bike |
2024 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates |
2023 | Primož Roglič | Slovenia | Jumbo-Visma |
2022 | Jai Hindley | Australia | Bora-Hansgrohe |
2021 | Egan Bernal | Colombia | Ineos Grenadiers |
2020 | Tao Geoghegan Hart | Great Britain | Ineos Grenadiers |
2019 | Richard Carapaz | Ecuador | Movistar |
2018 | Chris Froome | Great Britain | Team Sky |
2017 | Tom Dumoulin | Netherlands | Sunweb |
2016 | Vincenzo Nibali | Italy | Astana |
2015 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Tinkoff-Saxo |
2014 | Nairo Quintana | Colombia | Movistar |
2013 | Vincenzo Nibali | Italy | Astana |
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