The routes for the 2026 Giro d’Italia and Giro d’Italia Women were officially unveiled by event organiser RCS Sports & Events this week, at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome.
The men’s Giro d’Italia will start abroad for the 16th time, beginning with a Grande Partenza in Bulgaria. The race will cover 3,459km with a total of 50,000m of elevation gain, running from Friday, May 8, to Sunday, May 31, 2026.
The 109th edition finishes in Rome for the eighth time and features one 40.2km individual time trial, eight flat stages, seven medium-mountain stages, and five high-mountain stages, including seven summit finishes. The Cima Coppi will be the Passo Giau at 2,233m.
The three Bulgarian stages will serve as the opening. The first stage, from Nessebar to Burgas on the Black Sea coast, will award the first Maglia Rosa. Stage 2, from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo, is a demanding 220km with a final 3.5km climb at 7.5%. The final stage in Bulgaria, from Plovdiv to Sofia, is expected to favour the sprinters.
Following the first rest day on Monday, May 11, the race returns to Italy. The first summit finish will be on the Blockhaus via the Roccamorice ascent. The week ends with the ‘Muri’ stage to Fermo and the Apennine summit finish at Corno alle Scale.
The second week includes the Tappa Bartali, a 40.2km individual time trial in Tuscany from Viareggio to Massa, and a brutal 133km stage to Pila in the Aosta Valley with over 4,400m of elevation gain. Sunday, May 24, will be a likely sprint finish in Milan, which will host its 90th stage finish.
The third week includes a very short but intense stage held entirely on Swiss territory from Bellinzona to Carì. The Dolomite ‘queen stage’ links Feltre with Piani di Pezzè – the Montagna Pantani – tackling the Duran, Staulanza, Giau (Cima Coppi), and Falzarego passes.
The following day, the race commemorates the Friuli earthquake of May 6, 1976, before climbing Piancavallo twice, which will decide the final general classification. The Grande Arrivo in Rome features the traditional parade circuit through the Eternal City.
The Giro d’Italia Women, organised by RCS Sports & Events for the third consecutive year, will run from May 30 to June 7, 2026. It will cover nine stages – one more than previous editions – totalling 1,153.7km with a total elevation gain of 12,500m.
The race starts in Cesenatico and concludes in Saluzzo. It includes two summit finishes: the Belluno–Nevegal Tudor ITT (Stage 4, 12.7km) and the Queen Stage from Rivoli to Sestriere (Stage 8, 101km). The latter will feature the ascent of the Colle delle Finestre, the Cima Alfonsina Strada, for the first time in the race’s history.
Prior to the route announcements, the International Bike Economy Forum was held in collaboration with ICE – the Italian Trade Agency.
Banca Ifis, through its Ifis Sport division, presented data on the economic impact of the Corsa Rosa. The value generated by live spectators at the 2025 Giro amounted to an estimated €2.1 billion, which includes both direct and indirect impact.
Urbano Cairo, President of RCS MediaGroup, said “The data presented by the Banca Ifis research are outstanding and continuously growing. The Giro d’Italia’s contribution to exports is now evident and confirms that the Corsa Rosa has entered another dimension.”
The research also found that over 1.5 million foreign fans who actively followed the race increased their ongoing propensity to purchase Italian products, generating a value of more than €2.5 billion per year for Made in Italy production on international markets. Food & beverage and fashion were the most popular sectors.
Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE – Italian Trade Agency, said “The Giro d’Italia is much more than a sporting event: it is a strategic platform for promoting Italy’s industry, culture and tourism worldwide. It represents an important tool for the development of the Bike Economy and a powerful amplifier of Made in Italy.”
He added that the bike economy recorded exports worth €760 million in 2024, and in the first eight months of 2025, exports had already reached €550 million.
Rosen Zhelyazkov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, who attended the presentation, said “I am pleased to be here this evening and honoured to see that Bulgaria will host the Grande Partenza of one of the most important sporting events in the world.”
He added that hosting the event is a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s history, traditions, and value as a host nation.
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