With this year’s Giro d’Italia (May 8–31, 2026) now under way, the Italian Grand Tour has unveiled an expanded digital universe for its 109th edition, incorporating gaming platforms such as Fortnite and educational tools alongside its traditional coverage.
According to event organiser, RCS Sport, the digital strategy aims to offer a more immersive experience for the Corsa Rosa, which this year features a Grande Partenza in Bulgaria.
The race, which began in Burgas, Bulgaria, on May 8, 2026, is being supported by a multilingual official website and app. These platforms provide live written commentary in Italian, English, Spanish, and French, supplemented by real-time statistics and background content.
For the first time, the Giro d’Italia has entered the gaming world with an official map on Fortnite. Here, players can explore virtual versions of race locations such as Naples, Rome, Milan, and Blockhaus. The initiative marks the first time bicycles have been introduced as a vehicle within the Fortnite game. In its first week, the initiative reportedly reached 421,000 active players across 142 countries.
RCS Sport adds that fan engagement remains a core focus through several interactive platforms:
- FantaGiro d’Italia: Now in its third edition, the fantasy cycling game has seen more than 30,000 teams created. Participants manage a budget of ‘100 Wolfie’ to select riders such as Jonas Vingegaard and Jonathan Milan in the game.
- FanZone Challenge: Available at play.giroditalia.it, this platform includes a Predictor game for stage winners and a Faster Climber game for 11 major climbs. Fans also vote for the daily ‘Combattivo’ award between 16:00 and 20:30 on each stage.
- Strava Partnership: Here, a collaboration continues with 11 iconic climbing segments and official routes available on Strava. The Giro d’Italia Strava Club currently has a community of 60,000 members.
The event has also launched a digital partnership with Kahoot! as the Digital Learning Partner for BiciScuola. This initiative uses quizzes to engage students on topics such as road safety and environmental sustainability.
Social media coverage continues across Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube, with a focus on collaborative content produced alongside the competing teams to provide a view from within the peloton.
