"The Giro has always given me great memories" - Santiago Buitrago targets GC breakthrough in Italy

Santiago Buitrago heads into the 2026 Giro d’Italia carrying greater responsibility than ever before. After already leaving his mark on the race with stage victories in both 2022 and 2023, the Colombian climber now arrives in Italy with ambitions that stretch far beyond hunting individual wins.

For the first time in his Giro career, the Bahrain - Victorious rider is expected to lead the team’s general classification campaign, with sports director Franco Pellizotti openly targeting a top-five finish in Rome.

Buitrago’s confidence is backed by a strong opening block of the season. The 26-year-old claimed victory at the Trofeo Laigueglia and also secured seventh place overall at the Tirreno-Adriatico, confirming the steady progression he has shown over the last two years in stage racing.

Speaking to CyclingPro ahead of the race, Buitrago made clear how much the Giro means to him personally.

“I’m happy to start my third Giro and very happy to come back”, Buitrago points out. “It’s a race that I honestly like a lot and I hope these three weeks will be full of positive things and that I can arrive in Rome with a good result.”

The Colombian explained that his entire first half of the season had been structured around arriving at the Giro in peak condition, especially with the goal of competing for the overall standings.

“This year I come with the idea of doing well in the general classification and we worked throughout this first part of the season to arrive in the best shape possible. I think we managed to do that.”

Buitrago also pointed to the encouraging sensations he carried out of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he showed solid climbing form against many of the peloton’s biggest names. That performance has only reinforced the belief inside Bahrain - Victorious that he can emerge as one of the key outsiders for the podium battle.

“Let’s say we arrive in the best shape, we’ve had a good season and we come here with ambition, with the objective of doing really well,” he said. “The Giro has always given me great satisfaction, some of my best moments, and I hope this year it gives me another one.”

With proven climbing ability, growing experience in Grand Tours and a team fully committed to his GC ambitions, Buitrago enters the Giro as one of the riders capable of surprising the established favourites over three demanding weeks in Italy.