2026 Giro d'Italia: The five key stages

Stage 7 is a long day in the saddle, with over 245km and a finish on the Blockhaus, which last featured on the 2022 Giro d'Italia. The Roccamorice approach, which was also tackled in 2017 and 2022, averages 8.4% across its 13.6km. 

The stage is the first mountain test of the Giro, so expect to see early glimpses of who could be competing for the maglia rosa, and the Blockhaus might also tell us who will not be in the mix for overall victory. In 2022, Simon Yates' GC challenge collapsed here at the end of the first week.  

The final part of this stage has the potential to be an absolute climbing watts fest, despite the long distance. The opening half of the stage is relatively gentle and though the terrain grows more rugged in the final 100km, the day will be decided by a shoot-out among the best climbers on the Blockhaus.

RCS has taken a calculated risk by including a 40km individual time trial, which has the likelihood of shaking up the general classification significantly by creating large time gaps. Time trials of this distance were the norm a generation or so ago, but they have become increasingly rare on Grand Tours in the 2020s. The Massa time trial is a clear invitation to three-time world champion Remco Evenepoel.  

If Evenepoel does line up for the 2026 Giro, then it is an almost forgone conclusion that the so-called 'aero bullet' will win the stage. The bigger questions are: how much time can Evenepoel gain on his nearest competitors, and could it be enough to win a second Grand Tour of his career after his Vuelta victory of 2022?

The stage will be a treacherous one for GC contenders who struggle against the watch, and it may lead to them looking for other opportunities for the rest of the Giro.

One of only two five-star stages on the route, this mountainous leg in Val d'Aosta has the potential to see a big shake-up in the GC while also offering a possible platform for the break to go the distace.

The immediate climb up to Saint-Barthélémy (14.7km at 7.1%) means there's every chance a strong breakaway will form. With the right combination of teams, they could go all the way even on a day as tough as this. 

The climbs of Doues, Lin Noir and Verrogne follow, and they will serve both to whittle down the break and the peloton on the race's first day in the Alps. The summit finish at Pila (16.6km at 7.1%), meanwhile, should see a full-blooded contest between the contenders for the pink jersey - and that might prove fatal to the break's chances.

A mouth-watering clash awaits on the toughest stage of the 2026 Giro. There are 5000 metres of elevation across the brutal day in the mountains from Feltre to Alleghe, with stage featuring climbs the Passo Duran, Forcella Staulanza, the fearsome Passo Giau and the Passo Falzarego ahead of a punchy finish at Piani di Pezzè (4.9km at 9.8%).

The GC contenders' approach the stage will be fascinating. On paper, this is the chance for a do-or-die effort to seize the maglia rosa, but with another mountain day to come 24 hours, who will be brave enough to roll the dice here? 

The main feature of the stage will be summit of the Passo Giau, the highest point of the Giro at 2,305 metres above sea level. It last featured on the Giro in 2021, when Egan Bernal went on to take victory on the snow-shortened stage en route to overall victory. 

If a rider has a bad day, the time gaps are guaranteed to be enormous. There is every chance we will see some late drama on the 2026 Giro's visit to the mighty Dolomites.

151km and two ascents of the Piancavallo (14.5km at 7.8%) are on the menu in the last test for the overall contenders. In his final act as race director, Mauro Vegni opted against routing the Giro to Monte Zoncolan, believing that the gentler climb of Piancavallo was more likely to encourage attacking racing on the preceding day. 

Desperation could play a factor in this stage, as you would expect with the stage the final opportunity to take the maglia rosa. 

It remains to be seen if the drama can match what we saw on stage 20 of the 2025 Giro, and the time gaps will determine whether there is an attack on the pink jersey on the first ascent of Piancavallo. No matter, the second ascent of the climb, where Marco Pantani won in 1998, is sure to be a battle - and it might even decide the entire Giro.