Overview
- The 2026 Giro d'Italia, which begins Friday in Bulgaria, runs to May 31 in Rome with 184 riders on the start list.
- Pre-race withdrawals have thinned the contender pool, with João Almeida out through illness, Richard Carapaz after surgery, and Mikel Landa due to a crash.
- The route includes one long individual time trial of 42 km on stage 10 and key climbs such as Blockhaus on May 15, Swiss peaks on stage 16, the Passo Giau late in week three, and a summit finish at Piani di Pezzè on May 29.
- Spain fields ten riders led by Enric Mas, who makes his Giro debut for Movistar after only a handful of race days since undergoing treatment for a vascular leg injury in 2025.
- Jonas Vingegaard arrives in winning form from Paris–Nice and the Volta and is widely tipped as the standout for the general classification.