Organizers have unveiled the route of next year’s Giro d’Italia.
Cor Vos
When rumors emerged two weeks ago of a long time trial – or what passes for one in this day and age – on the 2026 Giro d’Italia route, it seemed like a beacon had been lit calling upon Remco Evenepoel to attend the race. Days later, Het Laatste Nieuws reported that he and his new Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team were trying to decide between targeting either the Classics or to the Giro in the first part of his season.
Then, on Monday, Giro organizer RCS unveiled the route for next year’s race. There is indeed a time trial of just over 40 km in length on the docket for the men’s peloton … but that’s it as far as TTs go. Sorry Remco.
A total of nearly 50,000 meters of elevation gain await next May when the Giro rolls out from Bulgaria. Compared to that, the grand total of 40 km of time trialing – in a single mid-race stage – across all three weeks seems pretty insignificant. A summit finish at Blockhaus and a third-week queen stage in the Dolomites are more likely to prove decisive in the battle for the pink jersey.
With all that mind, the 2026 Giro d’Italia should feel like most Grand Tours these days: a race for the climbers, where the GC battle comes down to the high mountains. That’s not to say that Evenepoel won’t go anyway, and frankly, he will almost certainly be the favorite if he shows up – but the world’s best time trialist probably won’t enjoy himself quite as much as he might have if RCS had decided to throw him another bone in the form of a second or even a third TT.
On the bright side, the climbing challenges are a shade less dramatic than they have been the past two seasons, which could soften the blow of so little TT action for a rider who is likely to head to the Tour later in the year.
Challenges throughout
The Giro will get underway in historic – and beautiful – Nesebar on the Black Sea coast, the first of three stages in Bulgaria. Only the second of those days is likely to have any GC implications, with a short final climb of 7.5% over 3.5 km. After a sprint stage in the capital of Sofia, the race will head to Italy.
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