Overview
- The 109th Giro d’Italia begins Friday, May 8 in Nessebar, Bulgaria, and spans 21 stages to a Rome finish on May 31.
- Jonas Vingegaard starts his first Giro as the clear favorite after victories at Paris–Nice and the Tour of Catalonia, and he says his goal is to win in Rome.
- The race lacks several headline names, with Tadej Pogacar sitting out and 2025 winner Simon Yates retired, and further withdrawals include Richard Carapaz and Joao Almeida.
- The route covers about 3,468 km with seven summit finishes and a 40.2 km stage‑10 time trial on the Tuscan coast, and it includes a Swiss stage plus Italian stops such as a Naples finish and a Piancavallo finale that will use vehicle passes and shuttle buses.
- U.S. viewers get early‑stage TV coverage on truTV with streaming on DIRECTV and HBO Max, while UK fans can watch live on TNT Sports via HBO Max and on Sky.