OFFICIAL | 2026 Giro d'Italia starts in Bulgaria; summit finishes at Blockhaus and Piancavallo; Switzerland and Rome finale

The route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia has been made official! A special and difficult route awaits the riders with Bulgaria officially hosted the start of a Grand Tour for the very first time in its history; 40 kilometers of individual time trialing; mountain stages spread throughout the Apennines and the Alps including summit finishes in climbs like Blockhaus and Piancavallo; and even an incursion into Switzerland for a summit finish in Cari.

The race begins in Bulgaria, a special Grande Partenza that follows the investment of Albania in 2025. The eastern-European nation will host the start with three stages, with the race beginning in Nessebar and finishing in Burgas on stage 1 - May 8th, where the pink jersey should be attributed to a sprinter. Stage finishes in Veliko Tarnovo and the capital of Sofia (a hilly and sprint stage respectively) will make for a different start to the race.

The riders fly to mainland Italy with a rest day in the middle where they will find two tricky stages into Cosenza and Potenza, the last of which featuring a few steep climbs where the overall classification riders will truly be tested. Stage 6 will see the riders return to Napoli for a sprint before a stint in in the Apennines where stage 7 will feature a summit finish in Blockhaus, a key stage in the 2026 route.

Stage 8 will be finishing in Fermo and stage 9 will be another day in the mountains, ending in Corno alle Scale with another summit finish. After the second rest day there will be a day that has been widely discussed in the weeks leading up to the race, which will be the Massa time trial, 40 kilometers in length which may attract Remco Evenepoel to the race according to many. It is the only time trial of the race however, but it will be mostly flat. 

Three stages will follow where the sprinters, classics specialists and rouleurs will be able to fight for victories with finales in Chiavari, Novi Ligure and Verbania as the race heads north into the Alps. Stage 14 will take place in the Valle d'Aosta with a summit finish in Pila, one mountain stage that should be quite brutal. Stage 15 will see the riders head into Milano for a sprint finish.

The final week begins with an incursion to Switzerland, a mountain stage with a very difficult summit finish in Cari, used recently in the Tour de Suisse. Stages 17 and 18 will be hilly but with the GC riders requiring attention whilst saving themselves for the final key days. Andalo and Pieve di Soligo will host the finales.

Stage 19 will take place from Feltre to Piani di Pezzè, a day in the Dolomites featuring ascents of - amongst others - climbs to the Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego. The final mountain stage of the race finally, will feature a double ascention of Piancavallo where in 2017 Tom Dumoulin battled to stay in the pink jersey. The race finishes in Rome on the 31st of May.