Gran Piemonte 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions - UAE and INEOS look to win major classic against Pedersen
Cycling
On the 8th of October, the Italian autumn classics continue with another one of its main races: Gran Piemonte. The hilly race has a history of sprinters, climbers and classics specialists winning in it - and this year it is wide open. Below, you will find the preview and route of the race.
The race was first held in 1906 and is one of the oldest events in professional cycling. Giovanni Gerbi won its first three editions. Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser, Roger de Vlaeminck, Adrie van der Poel and Djamolidine Abduzhaparov are part of the long and illustrious palmarès of the race.
The race changes routes frequently, and has other sprinters such as Daniele Bennati, Giacomo Nizzolo and Mathew Walls winning in recent years; Climbers such as Rigoberto Urán and Egan Bernal; as well as classics specialists such as Philippe Gilbert, Sonny Colbrelli and Neilson Powless.
In 2025 it was Isaac del Toro who took the victory in a race suited to the classics specialist.
Profile: Asti - Bra
Asti - Bra, 185 kilometers
The route this year is 185 kilometers long, starting off in Asti with a flat first hour to the race. The course then becomes quite hilly, with 2500 meters of climbing.
The race is to be decided on the final circuit which features two laps with several slight ascents. The main climb is 7.1 kilometers long at 3.8% - a climb that ends with 14 kilometers to go.
The race might be split there but will only be decided within the town of Bra, where the technical and slight uphill rise to the line favours the explosive riders who can climb but also sprint.
Preview Gran Piemonte 2026
The race will largely be decided by UAE's racing dynamic. The Emirati team is by far the strongest, but the profile is not significantly hard. The rise to the line is rather uphill so it means riders such as Isaac del Toro and Jhonatan Narváez can win, but they will need a very small group to do so. Benoît Cosnefroy might be saved for an explosive finish but the duo and Brandon McNulty are expected to go all-out on the attack in order to try and blow the race apart. Will they be able to?
The likes of Tobias Johannessen, Romain Grégoire, Finn Fisher-Black and Lorenzo Finn might be amongst those able to respond to such attacks and feed into a decisive move; but above all the favourites will consist of the explosive puncheurs - as well as sprinters who can climb - that will be present in the race.
Mads Pedersen would be the outright favourite, but question is a form as in the past few weeks its been rather inconsistent and his support will also be very modest. Michael Matthews, second at the World Championships, could emerge as the 'new Pedersen'. Laurence Pithie, Alessandro Romele, Orluis Aular, Dorian Godon and Matteo Trentin are all realistic winners in such a scenario - even if most have other cards to play in the aggressive part of the race.
INEOS have not only Godon but also Ben Turner and Axel Laurance to play in a sprint. But there are several others who carry a good chance of finishing high up on the sheet with a good sprint such as Thomas Silva, Edoardo Zambanini, Pau Miquel, Corbin Strong and Fred Wright.
Prediction Gran Piemonte 2026
*** Alessandro Romele, Mads Pedersen, Laurence Pithie, Michael Matthews
** Matteo Trentin, Orluis Aular, Dorian Godon, Isaac del Toro
* Thomas Silva, Alberto Bettiol, Edoardo Zambanini, Pau Miquel, Tobias Johannessen, Corbin Strong, Fred Wright, Ben Turner, Axel Laurance, Finn Fisher-Black, Lorenzo Finn, Romain Grégoire, Benoît Cosnefroy, Brandon McNulty, Jhonatan Narváez
Pick: Mads Pedersen
How: Reduced bunch sprint.
Read also
List of winners Gran Piemonte
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2025 | Isaac Del Toro | Marc Hirschi | Bauke Mollema |
| 2024 | Neilson Powless | Corbin Strong | Alex Aranburu |
| 2023 | Andrea Bagioli | Marc Hirschi | Alex Aranburu |
| 2022 | Iván García Cortina | Matej Mohorič | Alexis Vuillermoz |
| 2021 | Matthew Walls | Giacomo Nizzolo | Olav Kooij |
| 2020 | George Bennett | Diego Ulissi | Mathieu van der Poel |
| 2019 | Egan Bernal | Iván Ramiro Sosa | Nans Peters |
| 2018 | Sonny Colbrelli | Florian Sénéchal | Davide Ballerini |
| 2017 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | Giacomo Nizzolo | Fernando Gaviria | Daniele Bennati |
| 2015 | Jan Bakelants | Matteo Trentin | Sonny Colbrelli |
| 2014 | — | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — | — |
| 2012 | Rigoberto Urán | Luca Paolini | Gorka Verdugo |
| 2011 | Daniel Moreno | Greg Van Avermaet | Luca Paolini |
| 2010 | Philippe Gilbert | Leonardo Bertagnolli | Matti Breschel |
| 2009 | Philippe Gilbert | Daniel Moreno | Francesco Gavazzi |
| 2008 | Daniele Bennati | Luca Paolini | Alexandre Usov |
| 2007 | — | — | — |
| 2006 | Daniele Bennati | Grégory Rast | Gene Bates |
| 2005 | Murilo Fischer | Steven de Jongh | Paride Grillo |
| 2004 | Allan Davis | Alberto Ongarato | Francesco Chicchi |
| 2003 | Alessandro Bertolini | Thomas Liese | Angelo Lopeboselli |
| 2002 | Luca Paolini | Matthias Kessler | Gianluca Bortolami |
| 2001 | Nico Mattan | Fabio Sacchi | Matthé Pronk |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | Andrea Tafi | Marco Serpellini | Sergio Barbero |
| 1998 | Marco Serpellini | Daniele Nardello | Stefano Colagè |
| 1997 | Gianluca Bortolami | Paolo Lanfranchi | Biagio Conte |
| 1996 | Richard Virenque | Andrea Tafi | Mauro Gianetti |
| 1995 | Claudio Chiappucci | Stefano Zanini | Davide Cassani |
| 1994 | Nicola Miceli | Roberto Petito | Peter Meinert-Nielsen |
| 1993 | Beat Zberg | Laurent Dufaux | Fabrizio Bontempi |
| 1992 | Erik Breukink | Stephen Roche | Alex Zülle |
| 1991 | Djamolidine Abdujaparov | Frédéric Moncassin | Sammie Moreels |
| 1990 | Franco Ballerini | Dante Rezze | Kim Andersen |
| 1989 | Claudio Chiappucci | Søren Lilholt | Per Pedersen |
| 1988 | Rolf Gölz | Gianni Bugno | Marco Lietti |
| 1987 | Adrie van der Poel | Eric Van Lancker | Adriano Baffi |
| 1986 | Gianni Bugno | Enrico Grimani | Jean-François Bernard |
| 1985 | Charly Mottet | Urs Zimmermann | Robert Millar |
| 1984 | Christian Jourdan | Acácio da Silva | Teun van Vliet |
| 1983 | Guido Bontempi | Sean Kelly | Francesco Moser |
| 1982 | Faustino Rupérez | Pascal Jules | Michael Wilson |
| 1981 | Marino Amadori | Bruno Wolfer | Luciano Rabottini |
| 1980 | Gianbattista Baronchelli | Wladimiro Panizza | Giovanni Battaglin |
| 1979 | Silvano Contini | Wladimiro Panizza | Gianbattista Baronchelli |
| 1978 | Gianbattista Baronchelli | Clyde Sefton | Riccardo Magrini |
| 1977 | Roger De Vlaeminck | Giuseppe Saronni | Bernt Johansson |
| 1976 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | Francesco Moser | Michel Pollentier | Tino Conti |
| 1973 | Felice Gimondi | Marcello Bergamo | Giancarlo Polidori |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Felice Gimondi | Wladimiro Panizza |
| 1971 | Felice Gimondi | Gianni Motta | Giorgio Favaro |
| 1970 | Italo Zilioli | Mauro Simonetti | Franco Balmamion |
| 1969 | Marino Basso | Ole Ritter | Cesarino Carpanelli |
| 1968 | — | — | — |
| 1967 | Guido De Rosso | Roberto Ballini | Mario Di Toro |
| 1966 | Rudi Altig | Franco Bitossi | Gianni Motta |
| 1965 | Romeo Venturelli | Roberto Poggiali | Dino Zandegù |
| 1964 | Willy Bocklant | Jaime Alomar | Guido Carlesi |
| 1963 | Adriano Durante | Italo Zilioli | Franco Cribiori |
| 1962 | Vito Taccone | Franco Cribiori | Graziano Battistini |
| 1961 | Angelo Conterno | Jos Hoevenaers | Giovanni Pettinati |
| 1960 | Alfredo Sabbadin | Nello Fabbri | Carlo Brugnami |
| 1959 | Silvano Ciampi | Aldo Moser | Arrigo Padovan |
| 1958 | Nino Defilippis | Alessandro Fantini | Arrigo Padovan |
| 1957 | Silvano Ciampi | Giuliano Michelon | Giacomo Fini |
| 1956 | Fiorenzo Magni | Pasquale Fornara | Pietro Giudici |
| 1955 | Giuseppe Minardi | Angelo Conterno | Adolfo Grosso |
| 1954 | Nino Defilippis | Alfredo Martini | Angelo Conterno |
| 1953 | Fiorenzo Magni | Loretto Petrucci | Giorgio Albani |
| 1952 | Giorgio Albani | Luciano Maggini | Ettore Milano |
| 1951 | Gino Bartali | Pasquale Fornara | Vincenzo Rossello |
| 1950 | Alfredo Martini | Sergio Pagliazzi | Loretto Petrucci |
| 1949 | Adolfo Leoni | Fausto Coppi | Fiorenzo Magni |
| 1948 | Renzo Soldani | Dino-Placido Ottusi | Andrea Carrea |
| 1947 | Vito Ortelli | Aldo Ronconi | Mario Vicini |
| 1946 | Sergio Maggini | Antonio Covolo | Antonio Bevilacqua |
| 1945 | Secondo Barisone | Carlo Rebella | Primo Volpi |
| 1944 | — | — | — |
| 1943 | — | — | — |
| 1942 | Fiorenzo Magni | Gino Bartali | Pierino Favalli |
| 1941 | Aldo Bini | Gino Bartali | Osvaldo Bailo |
| 1940 | Cino Cinelli | Aldo Bini | Osvaldo Bailo |
| 1939 | Gino Bartali | Cesare Del Cancia | Fausto Coppi |
| 1938 | Pietro Rimoldi | Severino Canavesi | Aldo Bini |
| 1937 | Gino Bartali | Faustino Montesi | Severino Canavesi |
| 1936 | Aldo Bini | Giuseppe Olmo | Giovanni Cazzulani |
| 1935 | Aldo Bini | Domenico Piemontesi | Romeo Rossi |
| 1934 | Learco Guerra | Giuseppe Martano | Domenico Piemontesi |
| 1933 | Antonio Folco | Andrea Minasso | Battista Astrua |
| 1932 | Giuseppe Martano | Giuseppe Olmo | Felice Lessona |
| 1931 | Mario Cipriani | Guglielmo Marin | Giovanni Firpo |
| 1930 | Ambrogio Enrico Morelli | Aldo Canazza | Fabio Battesini |
| 1929 | Antonio Negrini | Alfredo Binda | Battista Giuntelli |
| 1928 | Marco Giuntelli | Battista Giuntelli | Amulio Viarengo |
| 1927 | Alfredo Binda | Battista Giuntelli | Antonio Negrini |
| 1926 | Alfredo Binda | Giovanni Brunero | Costante Girardengo |
| 1925 | Gaetano Belloni | Bartolomeo Aimo | Alfredo Binda |
| 1924 | Costante Girardengo | Federico Gay | Bartolomeo Aimo |
| 1923 | Bartolomeo Aimo | Camillo Arduino | Angelo Gremo |
| 1922 | Angelo Gremo | Bartolomeo Aimo | Costante Girardengo |
| 1921 | Giovanni Brunero | Giuseppe Azzini | Alfredo Sivocci |
| 1920 | Costante Girardengo | Alfredo Sivocci | Gaetano Belloni |
| 1919 | Costante Girardengo | Gaetano Belloni | Angelo Gremo |
| 1918 | Ettore Bianchi | Luigi Sinchetto | Nino Ronco |
| 1917 | Domenico Schierano | Francesco Cerutti | Ugo Ruggeri |
| 1916 | Francesco Cerutti | Pietro Ferraris | Giovanni Abellonio |
| 1915 | Natale Bosco | Giovanni Nuvoli | Federico Gay |
| 1914 | Giuseppe Santhia | Angelo Gremo | Costante Girardengo |
| 1913 | Romolo Verde | Marcello Sussio | Giovanni Abellonio |
| 1912 | Costantino Costa | Francesco Innocenti | Pasquale Busso |
| 1911 | Mario Bruschera | Carlo Galetti | Giuseppe Santhia |
| 1910 | Vincenzo Borgarello | Pietro Aimo | Cesare Zanzottera |
| 1909 | — | — | — |
| 1908 | Giovanni Gerbi | Luigi Chiodi | Carlo Galetti |
| 1907 | Giovanni Gerbi | Carlo Galetti | Mario Gaioni |
| 1906 | Giovanni Gerbi | Battista Danesi | Luigi Ganna |
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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