2026 Giro d'Italia should include a large time trial - And with this, Remco Evenepoel's presence too

The 2026 Giro d'Italia route will be announced on the 1st of December but most details will be known beforehand. For example the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria, and the overall structure of the route alongside most of its mountain stages. One key aspect to the route is the presence of many flat time trialing kilometers, as this could be the decisive aspect to attract Olympic Champion Remco Evenepoel. And as it turns out, the Belgian may get what he wants.

Evenepoel has expressed interest in racing the Tour de France next year, whilst his presence at the Giro will depend on the route. With the Tour featuring virtually no flat time trialing terrain - only one short individual time trial, mostly climbing or downhill - there is no actual ground for Evenepoel to be able to make the difference in his discipline of excellence. Hence, the Giro d'Italia could become a much more attractive option if it does, alongside the absence of Tadej Pogacar.

Jonas Vingegaard should be present at the Giro, however that would not change Evenepoel's plans. And according to Het Laatste Nieuws, there will be a long time trial at the Corsa Rosa, potentially up to 40 kilometers long. This would come as a major benefit to the soon-to-be Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider.

With Florian Lipowitz aiming for the Tour de France and having proven his credentials this year with a third place behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, the German team have a relatively safe option for the Grand Boucle even if Evenepoel does not perform at his best. However, a victory or a strong performance at the Giro could also help Evenepoel in his run-up to the Tour, entering it with less pressure than the two occasions in the past. In 2024 he had a perfect performance and finishing third in the overall classification, whilst this year he abandoned the race in the Pyrenees after struggling with bad legs for several consecutive days.