Giro d'Italia 2026 stage 14 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Can Jonas Vingegaard's illness get in the way into first queen stage?

The 2026 Giro d'Italia will take place from the 8th to the 31st of May. It is the first Grand Tour of the season, and there are 21 stages that will take the riders through many of Italy's iconic cities, the mythical Alps, and many treacherous stages - each one can end the climber's chances of winning. We preview stage 14, which is expected to start and finish at 13:15 and 16:50CET.

One of the most important stages of the race. The riders start in the city of Aosta and will spend the whole day in a radius of just a few kilometers, going up five climbs in the Valle d'Aosta which can be considered the first queen stage of the race, with 4200 meters of climbing packed ina very short distance.

It is a very short mountain stage with only 133 kilometers on the menu, but the organizers have designed the stage in a way that its short distance might actually have an influence. They have inserted a very difficult climb at the start of the day, something the Tour and Vuelta very rarely risk doing anymore. This is Saint-Barthelémy, which is 15.7 kilometers long at 6.2%.

This means we can see GC raids, or very serious attacks right from the start. Most of the GC men will save themselves for the final climb, but that does not mean there isn't terrain to attack beforehand. All descents in the region are extremely technical and require the utmost attention, as the peloton can split at any moment.

5.8Km at 6.2% (71Km to go) will be the second climb; whilst then there is a two-climb combination that is quite difficult and closely united: Lin Noir and Verrogne. The first is 7.5 kilometers long at 7.8%; and the second 5.6Km at 6.9%.

They end with 50 and 41 kilometers to go respectively. The descent from the latter is very long, technical and steep. There will only be a few kilometers back into the outskirts of Aosta, where the riders will ascend into the final climb.

This will take the peloton up to Pila, one of the many mountain towns that are spread throughout the valley. A true Alpe d'Huez, only longer. 20 hairpins on a climb that is 16.6 kilometers long and averages 7%.

This is a brutal summit finish at the end of a brutal stage, where the fatigue of two weeks of racing can also begin to be a key factor. Only the pure climbers can battle for such a stage, where the GC will take further shape.

This is a brutal mountain stage, starting right off with a very difficult ascent where many are expected to go up the road. If you're Bahrain you won't burn your team right away to try and control it; and if you're Visma you're using your men to pace all throughout the day and then attack the final climb. That's what I expect from this stage, with both teams sharing the duties but with Visma being the main worker as they will have the responsibility.

There are questions over Jonas Vingegaard, who was ill earlier in the race. His time trial was quite a poor performance, and whilst it is assured that it's now behind, it can prove to be an issue. He remains the man to beat, but there can be a seed for doubt, or a seed for Felix Gall and Thymen Arensman to have more confidence.

Visma can pace but as we've seen at Corno alle Scale, Gall may just go on the attack before they can use their men. Vingegaard does have to respond to him. Elsewhere he has to respond to Arensman, who can certainly be a threat with the race he is doing, and will have INEOS backing him up.

Jai Hindley should be good whilst BORA as a whole will be hoping that illness around the time trial won't turn their GC ambitions to dust - Giulio Pellizzari will be under threat, for certain. The others, have to do it by pace. Ben O'Connor, Michael Storer, Derek Gee and Mathys Rondel should be up there in the finale. I believe Afonso Eulálio will lose the pink jersey but remain on the podium, he is a quality climber and he will be motivated to do quite well here.

The breakaway can also succeed, the attacks are certain at the start and a few men really saved themselves over the previous days. Giulio Ciccone is the obvious outlier. Enric Mas, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda, Einer Rubio, Wout Poels and Igor Arrieta will be the men to watch - the list is short, such a stage can't just be won by anyone.

*** Jonas Vingegaard, Giulio Ciccone

** Felix Gall, Enric Mas, Einer Rubio

* Thymen Arensman, Jai Hindley, Ben O'Connor, Michael Storer, Mathys Rondel, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda, Wout Poels, Igor Arrieta

Pick: Giulio Ciccone

How: Breakaway win