Giro
d'Italia Women
The Giro d'Italia Women 2026 (May 30 – June 7) is the third Grand Tour of the women's calendar — nine stages, 1,177.7km, and 12,100m of climbing across Italy. The race opens with two flat Adriatic days (Cesenatico → Ravenna, Roncade → Caorle) before pivoting to the hilly Veneto interior, a 12.7km mountain ITT at Belluno → Nevegal (stage 4), and back-to-back Alpine mountain days at Sestriere (stage 8, queen) and Saluzzo (stage 9). With its longest distance and most elevation in any recent Giro Women edition, the 2026 route is built for pure climbers and TT specialists who can also climb. The race is the centrepiece of the late-spring women's WT calendar.
Where to watch
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The route, day by day
QUEEN
Who to watch & what to watch for
Top Starters
Jerseys
Fight for the overall
Narratives to watch
- Sestriere queen stage: The 101km stage 8 finishes on Sestriere, the iconic Olympic resort — short distance + steep summit = expected GC selection from km 1.
- Nevegal ITT (stage 4): 12.7km uphill TT — pure climbers can take time today; TT specialists who can climb are dangerous.
- Adriatic flat opener: Two flat days for the sprinters' teams to set up early bonus seconds and stage wins.
- Van der Breggen's return: Four-time Giro d'Italia Women titleholder returning to GC racing after a multi-season break, co-leading SD Worx-Protime with world champion Lotte Kopecky.
- Longo Borghini's UAE debut: First Giro with UAE Team ADQ after six seasons at Lidl-Trek — Italian national champion targeting Maglia Rosa on home roads.
Form book & lore
The Giro d'Italia Women (also known as Giro Donne) is the longest-running women's Grand Tour, first held in 1988. Multiple editions have been dominated by Anna van der Breggen (4 wins), Marianne Vos, and Annemiek van Vleuten. The 2026 edition is the modern rebooted format under RCS Sport organisation, restored as the women's calendar's most prestigious stage race.
When to tune in
Stage 8 (Sestriere) is the must-watch GC decider — short and savage. Stage 4 (Nevegal ITT) is the second race-of-truth. The Adriatic sprints are pure entertainment for the fast men's teams.