OFFICIAL | Unibet Rose Rockets set for 2026 Giro d'Italia debut; Tom Pidcock and Julian Alaphilippe's teams confirmed whilst Cofidis skips
Cycling
The 2026 Giro d'Italia is gaining shape more and more. After the route was revealed earlier this winter, we now know the 23 teams that will take to the start in Bulgaria later on in May. Four wildcards looked virtually assured whilst the fifth has been given to Unibet Rose Rockets, who missed out on getting an invite to the Tour de France.
The Giro will be taking place from the 8th to the 31st of May and will be the stage for a battle between Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida for the pink jersey, as has happened at last year's Vuelta a España. The first Grand Tour of the season is not going to have Cofidis at the start as the French team voluntarily gave up their automatic wildcard. They have a packed schedule and put more focus on the French cup which has a very busy schedule in May, as well as preparing other riders for the Tour de France.
The Giro will have Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and Tudor Pro Cycling Team in the Corsa Rosa; as the two Swiss teams, amongst the ProTeams, have scored the most UCI points in 2025. Tom Pidcock is likely not aiming for the Corsa Rosa but if he wishes to add it to his plans, it is possible. Last year's queen stage winner Chris Harper is likely to be at the start however. Tudor have Stefan Küng, Marc Hirschi and Julian Alaphilippe as riders who could be big figures in the three-week race.
With Solution Tech NIPPO Rali not being in the Top30 of UCI point top scoring team, they could not be given a wildcard for this year's Grand Tours. The other two Italian teams - Bardiani CSF 7 Saber and Team Polti VisitMalta - have been invited as the two Italian ProTeams who could receive the invite.
Since last year, five teams can be invited to the Grand Tours. It is heavily hinted that the Giro was preparing to invite one of the Spanish teams, but after Caja Rural - Seguros RGA's surprise invite to the Tour de France, plans have changed. Unibet Rose Rockets, the only team in the Top30 that didn't yet have a wildcard for a three-week race, received the last of which. The likes of Dylan Groenewegen, Lukas Kubis, Wout Poels and Victor Lafay may well be heading to the Giro next spring.
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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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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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- 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
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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Golden tickets awarded 💥 World Tour giants and wild cards. Giro d’Italia 2026 is ready 🚴♂️🔥 . Biglietti d’oro assegnati 💥 I giganti del World Tour e le wild card del Giro d’Italia 2026 🚴♂️🔥 #GirodItalia
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