Giro d'Italia 2026: stages, schedules, and everything you need to know

The Giro d'Italia 2026 will kick off on Friday, May 8, in Bulgaria and will conclude on Sunday, May 31, in Rome, after 21 stages, three rest days, a single time trial, and a final week designed to create real differences in the mountains. Jonas Vingegaard is the top favorite, but it is undoubtedly one of the most open editions in recent years.

Giro d'Italia 2026: dates, times, route, and where to watch

The route totals 3,468 kilometers and 48,700 meters of accumulated elevation gain, with seven mountain finishes and a long individual time trial of 42 km in stage 10. The Bulgarian start seems more forgiving than other recent grand tours, but the Giro will start showing its teeth very soon: Potenza, Blockhaus, Corno alle Scale, Pila, Carì, Alleghe, and Piancavallo concentrate much of the keys to an edition where the mountains are heavily loaded in the second half.

Where to watch the Giro d'Italia for free

In Spain, the Giro d'Italia 2026 can be watched for free through RTVE Play and its associated channels. Additionally, Eurosport, HBO Max, and other associated platforms will offer the full stages, with complete coverage of each day. The official Giro website includes Eurosport and HBO Max among its broadcasters, and Eurosport Spain also announces the complete race on Eurosport and HBO Max.

Stages and daily departure and arrival times

• 08/05 – Stage 1: Nessebar - Burgas | 147 km | 500 m | 12:50 – 16:12
• 09/05 – Stage 2: Burgas - Veliko Tarnovo | 221 km | 2,600 m | 10:50 – 16:14
• 10/05 – Stage 3: Plovdiv - Sofia | 175 km | 1,600 m | 12:05 – 16:14
• 11/05 – Rest / transfer
• 12/05 – Stage 4: Catanzaro - Cosenza | 138 km | 1,800 m | 13:40 – 17:13
• 13/05 – Stage 5: Praia a Mare - Potenza | 203 km | 4,100 m | 12:15 – 17:15
• 14/05 – Stage 6: Paestum - Naples | 141 km | 500 m | 13:50 – 17:13
• 15/05 – Stage 7: Formia - Blockhaus | 244 km | 4,600 m | 10:45 – 17:11
• 16/05 – Stage 8: Chieti - Fermo | 156 km | 1,900 m | 13:15 – 17:13
• 17/05 – Stage 9: Cervia - Corno alle Scale | 184 km | 2,400 m | 12:35 – 17:13
• 18/05 – Rest
• 19/05 – Stage 10 (TT): Viareggio - Massa | 42 km | 50 m | 13:15 – 17:15
• 20/05 – Stage 11: Porcari - Chiavari | 195 km | 2,850 m | 12:20 – 17:16
• 21/05 – Stage 12: Imperia - Novi Ligure | 175 km | 2,250 m | 13:05 – 17:14
• 22/05 – Stage 13: Alessandria - Verbania | 189 km | 1,400 m | 12:40 – 17:13
• 23/05 – Stage 14: Aosta - Pila | 133 km | 4,350 m | 12:55 – 17:15
• 24/05 – Stage 15: Voghera - Milan | 157 km | 200 m | 13:40 – 17:16
• 25/05 – Rest
• 26/05 – Stage 16: Bellinzona - Carì | 113 km | 3,000 m | 13:45 – 17:14
• 27/05 – Stage 17: Cassano d’Adda - Andalo | 202 km | 3,300 m | 12:10 – 17:16
• 28/05 – Stage 18: Fai della Paganella - Pieve di Soligo | 171 km | 2,050 m | 13:15 – 17:18
• 29/05 – Stage 19: Feltre - Alleghe | 151 km | 5,000 m | 12:30 – 17:12
• 30/05 – Stage 20: Gemona del Friuli - Piancavallo | 200 km | 3,750 m | 10:45 – 16:00
• 31/05 – Stage 21: Rome - Rome | 131 km | 500 m | 15:40 – 18:44

Jonas Vingegaard and the favorites for the podium

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Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease a Bike) appears as the top favorite. The Dane arrives with the possibility of completing the triple crown in the three grand tours and with a route that offers enough mountains, a long time trial to make differences, and several stages where Visma-Lease a Bike can control the race from afar. The absence of João Almeida clears part of the path for him, although the Giro is rarely decided solely by previous hierarchy.

Behind him, Giulio Pellizzari (Redbull BORA) arrives as the big Italian name after his leap in level, Adam Yates will lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek) returns to the Giro with ambitions for the podium, and Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman give the newly renamed Netcompany Ineos a double chance for the general classification. Jai Hindley (Redbull), Felix Gall (Decathlon), and other solid climbers enter that second group of contenders who can move between the top 5, the podium, or stage hunting if the race becomes complicated for them.

Enric Mas, who will debut in the Giro with Movistar Team, has already explained that his intention is to reach the end with options to contest the podium. For the Balearic rider, it will be a different race from his usual major objectives (Tour and Vuelta), but the route provides ample terrain in the mountains to attempt it, especially if he survives the time trial without significant losses and arrives alive in the final week.