Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2026 Route: Speculation, Rumours and Announcements

[Krzysztof_O]

Bernal on unipuerto Giau did more damage than Galibier has done since I don't know how long.

Giau is so far from the finale that I wouldn't bet on anything happen there. There's still like vertical km of moderate/steep climbing afterwards and a difficult MTF the day after. The Giro is *** except this stage which still maybe won't deliver before the final wall.

As for Tour stage 20 it's better as it has guaranteed at least 20-25 km of GC action (due to Sarenne location) and being the last big stage. Galibier may add drama or not.

 

[Red Rick]

Giau is so far from the finale that I wouldn't bet on anything happen there.

Guess how far Galibier is?

Giau is closer to the finish, it's easier to make a difference on the Giau than the Galibier, the terrain that follows is worse for any chasing group, and the climbs before the Giau are also more difficult than the stuff before Galibier.

I don't understand how people look at the closest stage design to Gardecchia 2011 in like 10-15 years and then say "oh yes, but the most tired old Croix de Fer, Galibier, Alpe d'Huez formula is better because sArEnNe"

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Guess how far Galibier is?

I edited my previous post. Even without Galibier action stage 20 of the Tour is better as it guarantees 20-25 km of GC action (due to Sarenne location and being the last important stage).

 

[OlavEH]

I don't understand how people look at the closest stage design to Gardecchia 2011 in like 10-15 years and then say "oh yes, but the most tired old Croix de Fer, Galibier, Alpe d'Huez formula is better because sArEnNe"

Gardaneccia was 70 km longer. And did have a rest day the next day. And Giau-Fedaia-Gardneccia is definitely better than Giau-Falzarego-Piani di Pezze.

 

[Onizuka999]

Red Bull will go to the next edition with Pellizzari Hindley and Vlasov.

 

[staubsauger]

The Dolomites stage is total horse crap!

You can do Giau-Falzarego MTF to have long-range attacks succeed and get some additional thrill due to the question how tactical situations gonna play out.

But with that long descent afterwards this likely ends up being just a little fight on the final climb between the favorites. Making the Dolomites queen stage once again mainly a fight for the breakaway / mountains jersey with a stage within a stage.

Even then you could design a true Dolomites slug fest instead. This is worse than 2008 when they nulled Giau and all other big mountains by making Fedaia the MTF.

 

[Red Rick]

The Dolomites stage is total horse crap!

You can do Giau-Falzarego MTF to have long-range attacks succeed and get some additional thrill due to the question how tactical situations gonna play out.

But with that long descent afterwards this likely ends up being just a little fight on the final climb between the favorites. Making the Dolomites queen stage once again mainly a fight for the breakaway / mountains jersey with a stage within a stage.

Even then you could design a true Dolomites slug fest instead. This is worse than 2008 when they nulled Giau and all other big mountains by making Fedaia the MTF.

Domestiques would not survive an attack on the Giau and the group should be smashed down to dead riders. A mostly 6% descent is hardly the Lautaret descend after the Galibier where everyone comes back

 

[staubsauger]

Domestiques would not survive an attack on the Giau and the group should be smashed down to dead riders. A mostly 6% descent is hardly the Lautaret descend after the Galibier where everyone comes back

Even LPR still had domestiques (again) after Giau in 2008!

 

[Red Rick]

Even LPR still had domestiques (again) after Giau in 2008!

That's like 5 meta's ago, and nobody attacked it. In 2016 they did the middling thing and did a hard tempo, there were like 8 guys left on top of the Giau, and everything got smashed to pieces on the Valparola.

 

[staubsauger]

That's like 5 meta's ago, and nobody attacked it. In 2016 they did the middling thing and did a hard tempo, there were like 8 guys left on top of the Giau, and everything got smashed to pieces on the Valparola.

That was the short 90s revival presented by Roche. That's a legit reference point for cyclings current era!.

Didn't Ricco actually test out Contador who was in a crisis but still had Klöden around and even Leipheimer or Colom!?

 

[ashhutch1997]

That was the short 90s revival presented by Roche. That's a legit reference point for cyclings current era!.

Didn't Ricco actually test out Contador who was in a crisis but still had Klöden around and even Leipheimer or Colom!?

Nah if I remember correctly Ricco and Di Luca started looking at eachover and nutralised eachover out.

 

[staubsauger]

Nah if I remember correctly Ricco and Di Luca started looking at eachover and nutralised eachover out.

Wow that's even sadder than what I remembered!

Piepoli broke his wrist on the descent as well didn't he!?

 

[ashhutch1997]

Wow that's even sadder than what I remembered!

Piepoli broke his wrist on the descent as well didn't he!?

Just rewatched it, Contador was completely isolated and was cracking, Di Luca, Ricco and Menchov bridged across to Franco Pellizotti, who'd attacked earlier on the Giau. Once they caught him they eased up, which made no sense as Contador was really cracking. It was Julio Pérez of all riders who helped Contador get back on.
The main problem with that stage was the fact they had the MTT up Plan de Corones the following day.

 

[houtdffan]

Just rewatched it, Contador was completely isolated and was cracking, Di Luca, Ricco and Menchov bridged across to Franco Pellizotti, who'd attacked earlier on the Giau. Once they caught him they eased up, which made no sense as Contador was really cracking. It was Julio Pérez of all riders who helped Contador get back on.
The main problem with that stage was the fact they had the MTT up Plan de Corones the following day.

the problem was ricco and simoni nearly blew themselves up when the briefly dropped Contador. They eased off as they would have blown and lost the entire Giro otherwise

 

[search]

Apparently there's still a conflict about the travel costs to Bulgaria. To everyone's surprise, RCS offering some Wizzair vouchers didn't help

Giro start in Bulgaria hit by dispute over travel costs and political unrest

The start of the 2026 Giro d'Italia is planned to take place in Bulgaria, where the first three stages will be raced. However, disagreements over travel cost...

cyclingflash.com

Assuming that they are talking about 160k for all teams together, I guess they should be able to find a solution, though.