Profiles & Route Giro d'Italia 2026 - Blockhaus, Piancavallo, Dolomites, Valle d'Aosta and 40 kilometers of time trials

The 2026 Giro d'Italia will take place from the 8th to 31st of May. We take a look at the profiles of the first Grand Tour of the season, a race that will include stages in the Dolomites, Valle d'Aosta, a 40-kilometer flat individual time trial and also summit finishes in iconic climbs such as Blockhaus and Piancavallo as the first and last mountain stages.

The race starts off in Bulgaria with a sprint stage, and the sprinters will be blessed with a few opportunities during the race. There are six opportunities for the purists including finales in Napoli, Milano and Rome. There is one 40-kilometers time trial finishing in Massa and it is pan-flat.

There are six mountain stages, and every single one of them has a summit finish. These include Blockhaus, Corno alle Scale, Pila, Cari, Pieve di Soligo and Piancavallo. This leaves eight stages that are mixed, which will serve the breakaway opportunists, puncheurs and some of them could end in a reduced bunch sprint as well. 

The race starts off in Bulgaria and the Grande Partenza takes place in the city of Nessebar. The opening stage of the race and the first pink jersey should be attributed to a sprinter after a flat day and a finale in Burgas right by the Black Sea.

The second day of racing offers up opportunities to many riders. It's a long day on the bike, 220 kilometers long and with a punchy finish. There is a 3-kilometer climb close to the finish that averages 7%, and ends very close to the finish in Valiko Tarnovo. The downhill finish means any gap that opens may see the stage win handed out and a change in pink jersey.

Stage 3 is another opportunity for the sprinters. There is a small climb halfway through the day but it's not too difficult and the remainder of the day is pan-flat which means the fast men shouldn't be too bothered. The stage ends in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia before the riders fly out to Italy.

The riders arrive to Italy with a short stage, and one that is tricky to guess how it will end. A sprint is indeed the most likely scenario, but there is a 15-kilometer long climb that averages around 6%, it's not just any climb and some sprinters will get dropped if the pace gets pushed even a little. This should see a reduced peloton sprint into Cosenza, or even some climbers trying to take the climb to surprise.

A day for the breakaway? Certainly a hard stage to control into Potenza, and the fifth day of racing offers up climbs that are difficult enough to turn off most sprinters. The uphill start and steep ascent into Montagna Grande di Viggiano will see attacks with certainty. The finale into Potenza is rolling but not too difficult, but if a breakaway doesn't succeed then it's hard to know which group of riders can reach the finish in position to win.

The sixth day into Napoli is a day for the sprinters but it isn't pan-flat, as there is a small hilltop finishing with only 7 kilometers to go and a small downhill before the traditional seafront finale in the coastal city.

The longest stage of the race and the Giro has offered up something that is rare: A 200Km+ mountain stage. The Tour and Vuelta have completely left this stage template behind, but the Giro reignites a traditional formula. Certainly, it's not a brutal stage, but in the Apennines there aren't many flat roads and the final half of the stage is quite difficult even before reaching Blockhaus. Whilst not the longest side, the 13-kilometer long climb is very steep and constant and will create very meaningful differences. This, the first mountain stage, is also certain to separate those who will fight for the race win and those who won't.

A typical explosive Giro stage, it is one that many have to pay attention to. We could see a breakaway succeed here despite the flat start, however the true story is the GC fight. There won't necessarily be time gains, but the tricky hilltop finish into Fermo and the climbs that come before it can create differences.

The final day of the first week will be tricky, and are an unusual sight at the Giro. The 'unipuerto' stage has reached the Corsa Rosa, with a pan-flat profile all the way into the final climb. On paper it's two climbs, but in reality there's just a tiny descent separating them. It's not a day for big gaps, but the final kilometers into Corno alle Scale are steep and we are in for some more GC action.

The 10th stage - which is also the opening day of the second week - is the race's sole time trial, it is pan-flat and 40 kilometers long which favours the specialists and gives them an opportunity. However the GC fight is always going to be the main story of the day, with this route providing enough kilometers to truly create differences.

A breakaway day, one that features a flat start but the final sequence of climbs are too hard for the sprinters whilst not being hard enough to create differences between the GC riders. Hence we've got a day where we could see some secondary figures take the spotlight.

The riders take on a day where a sprint is very likely to decide the outcome of the day. The profile is not fully flat, but the climbs are not overly hard and still come very far away from the finish to make a true impact. In Novi Ligure, the sprinters get back to the front after several days of riding in the grupetto.

Another tricky stage, with a completely flat profile all the way until the final kilometers. The stage doesn't seem to be designed for any type of rider in particular. Again it is too hard for the sprinters whilst seemingly not hard enough to create differences for the GC. But the stage is very easy to control for any team that has the interest, so a breakaway isn't overly likely to succeed. It opens up the door to many different scenarios that can play out in Verbania.

One of the most important stages of the race. 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.

In the Valle d'Aosta the stages are always brutal and this is no exception. The climb to Saint-Barthélémy is very difficult and only ends 20 kilometers into the stage. There will be several ascents throughout the day but it is likely that most will save themselves for the ascent to Pila, 17 kilometers in length and with almost 1200 altitude meters gained very quickly.  

The final stage of the second week is an unusual sight, as the riders head into Milano for a sprint finish. A pan-flat stage, there is no avoiding it, but the riders will be in the north's main city still a week out from the Giro's finale and without a time trial.

The stage that takes place fully within Switzerland. It is a day that got reorganized due to issues having the Giro go by a few climbs in the area. The end result is an odd stage format, with only 113 kilometers on the menu, a flat start, and a hilly circuit before heading to the final climb. However Cari is a brutal ascent by all parameters, the riders climb 930 meters in a 11.6 kilometers, averaging almost 10% in a stage that will open up the final week with a bang.

An odd stage, one for the breakaway to certainly succeed in, however with a flat start. 200 kilometers from Cassano d'Adda to Andalo, with a few rolling hills throughout the day and a hilltop finish to the line. Rouleurs and classics riders will have a good opportunity to succeed.

The 18th stage is another odd stage, a day that almost looks fully flat, but then has one 'shark tooth' close to the finish. The Muro di ca del Poggio will be inserted next to the stage finale, making this an open finale to late attacks, reduced group sprint or even a GC fight that can open up on the climb and the kilometers that follow it. But the climbers will likely want to save themselves for what's coming.

Stage 19 of the Giro is the queen stage, with 151 kilometers on the menu in the Dolomites. This includes the Passo Duran, Coi, Forcella Staulanza, Passo Giau and Passo Falzergo... A mythical day in the mountains, so as long as the weather doesn't come in the way. All of this is enough terrain to create serious differences, with long, steep and at-altitude climbs all involved. But the stage still sees a long descent and then a steep final ascent to Piani di Pezzè which is not as difficult but still enough to create differences and crown a worthy winner.

The final mountain stage of the race starts off completely flat and it's a day where the breakaway is unlikely to succeed, as when the race goes uphill, we're going straight into action. The riders will go up the Piancavallo ascent twice, a difficult climb which coincides with the finish, however nowhere near as difficult as the previous day. What differences can still be created?

The race finishes off once again in Rome, with a stage that is suited to the sprinters and will be featuring a circuit around the Italian capital to wrap off the three-week race.