Giro d'Italia - Winners
The Giro d'Italia, also known as La Corsa Rosa, will be held for the 109th time in 2026. First held in 1909, the Giro has established itself as one of the most iconic races on the cycling calendar with 71 different winners. This year's edition runs from May 8 to May 31, starting in Nessebar, Bulgaria and finishing in Rome, Italy. The winner of the race is awarded the iconic maglia rosa.
Origin of the Giro d'Italia
The Giro d’Italia was born in 1909 out of a desperate corporate rivalry between two Italian newspapers: La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera.
The first Giro began on 13 May 1909 at 2:53 AM in Milan. 127 riders set off on an eight-stage journey covering 2,448 kilometres. Luigi Ganna emerged as the inaugural winner, cementing the race as a permanent fixture of Italian culture.
Evolution of the Giro d'Italia
The Giro d’Italia evolved from a survival test into a high-tech global spectacle. In its early decades, the race was defined by unpaved roads and mammoth stages—some exceeding 400km—where riders carried their own food and spare tyres wrapped around their chests.
The 1930s introduced the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) to identify the leader, matching the pink pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport. Following WWII, the race became a symbol of national rebuilding, fueled by the legendary rivalry between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.
By the 1960s and 70s, the "Cannibal" Eddy Merckx internationalised the race, becoming the first non-Italian rider to win five editions.
Recent decades have seen the Giro embrace some iconic climbs featuring brutal gradients like Monte Zoncolan, and expanding its reach with "Grande Partenzas" (Big Starts) in foreign countries such as Hungary, Albania and Bulgaria in the last five years.
Iconic moments and champions
From Italian icons Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi dominating the race, winning five editions each, to Eddy Merckx spending a record 78 days in the maglia rosa en route to five victories, there have been many iconic champions of the Giro d'Italia.
More recent editions have seen Chris Froome produce one of the most spectacular comebacks in Grand Tour history in 2018, while Tadej Pogačar romped to victory in 2024 with the biggest winning margin (9:56) since 1965.
Giro d'Italia records
Since the formation of the race, there have been many significant milestones set. From three riders, Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx, who have won the race five times, to the iconic Mario Cipollini, who has more stage wins than anybody else with 42. Explore some of the key records in this article.
Curious about winners records and all winners?
Here is a look at all the former winners of the Giro d'Italia general classification
How does the Giro d'Italia work?
The Giro d'Italia is one of cycling's three Grand Tours, alongside July's Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España which takes place in August and September. There are 23 teams in the 2026 edition of the Giro d'Italia. The 18 WorldTour teams are joined by five wildcard teams.
The winner of the general classification at the Giro d'Italia is the rider who covers the 21 stages in the quickest cumulative time. The overall leader each day wears the pink jersey, or maglia rosa. The best young rider, a classification open to riders aged 25 or under on January 1, wears the white jersey, or maglia bianca.
The points classification sees riders earn points based on their position in each stage and in intermediate sprints, with the leader wearing the purple/cyclamen jersey, or maglia ciclamino. The mountains classification sees riders earn points based on their positions on selected climbs, with the leader wearing the blue jersey, or maglia azzurra.
The team classification is based on the general classification times of the first three riders of each team on each stage.
On each road stage, there is a prize awarded to the most combative or courageous rider, and the rider wears a red race number the following day. The rider who is deemed the most combative at the end of the 21 stages is awarded the final overall combativity prize.
