Giro d'Italia Rate the 2026 Giro d'Italia route

[Red Rick]

Images all stolen from @Netserk's post, though somehow the quote thing disappeared.

 

[Netserk]

Tentatively a 3 or 4. Helped by the more recent routes it is compared against.

 

[houtdffan]

3. Really needs 1 more ITT and a non unipuerto mountain stage > 220km

 

[Devil's Elbow]

+ Somewhat low on the pure sprint stages
+ Stage 19 is definitely worth being called a queen stage
+ Not too backloaded (especially by Giro standards)
+ Enough (if slightly on the low side) TT to balance the mountain stages...

- ...which is a rather damning indictment of the remaining mountain stages, which are subpar quantitatively and aside from Blockhaus also qualitatively
- Carí and Piancavallo are especially bad. The former should never come on stage 20, the latter is quite literally the worst design possible in the area
- What's the point of having a transfer to Rome for the final parade if you also have a parade in Milan a week prior? Makes zero sense from sporting, logistical and climate standpoints alike
- Really would have liked one of the hilly/mid-mountain stages to be properly hard, they are not as varied or exciting as I would like now

I've seen worse, but it doesn't have many positive standouts and those are offset by a number of glaring issues. 4/10, or in other words twice as low as what I would give the women's route.

 

[rghysens]

3. Really needs 1 more ITT and a non unipuerto mountain stage > 220km

And also maybe a strade bianche stage and some proper pacing. This just feels... I don't know, lazy?
3.

 

[AmRacer]

And also maybe a strade bianche stage and some proper pacing. This just feels... I don't know, lazy?
3.

Strade, Lombardia, Emilia, MSR...

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Was deciding between 8 and 9, then I chose to stop messing around and went 4, for obvious reasons

 

[Red Rick]

+ Somewhat low on the pure sprint stages
+ Stage 19 is definitely worth being called a queen stage
+ Not too backloaded (especially by Giro standards)
+ Enough (if slightly on the low side) TT to balance the mountain stages...

- ...which is a rather damning indictment of the remaining mountain stages, which are subpar quantitatively and aside from Blockhaus also qualitatively
- Carí and Piancavallo are especially bad. The former should never come on stage 20, the latter is quite literally the worst design possible in the area
- What's the point of having a transfer to Rome for the final parade if you also have a parade in Milan a week prior? Makes zero sense from sporting, logistical and climate standpoints alike
- Really would have liked one of the hilly/mid-mountain stages to be properly hard, they are not as varied or exciting as I would like now

I've seen worse, but it doesn't have many positive standouts and those are offset by a number of glaring issues. 4/10, or in other words twice as low as what I would give the women's route.

Think you're mixing up former and latter...

In a way I don't hate double Piancavallo because if you get domestiques up the road attacking the first time up is pretty viable and Piancavallo isn't so long and hard that it's impossible for domestiques to survive it. It not being a monster stage also helps the day before.

Andalo is my greatest annoyance tbh

 

[vappaxbipmv]

+ Somewhat low on the pure sprint stages
+ Stage 19 is definitely worth being called a queen stage
+ Not too backloaded (especially by Giro standards)
+ Enough (if slightly on the low side) TT to balance the mountain stages...

- ...which is a rather damning indictment of the remaining mountain stages, which are subpar quantitatively and aside from Blockhaus also qualitatively
- Carí and Piancavallo are especially bad. The former should never come on stage 20, the latter is quite literally the worst design possible in the area
- What's the point of having a transfer to Rome for the final parade if you also have a parade in Milan a week prior? Makes zero sense from sporting, logistical and climate standpoints alike
- Really would have liked one of the hilly/mid-mountain stages to be properly hard, they are not as varied or exciting as I would like now

I've seen worse, but it doesn't have many positive standouts and those are offset by a number of glaring issues. 4/10, or in other words twice as low as what I would give the women's route.

I mean, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 15, 18, 21 look pretty sprinty to me

 

[Gigs_98]

On the bright side, there is one well designed stage.

 

[hrotha]

It's a fine one-week race I guess. Weeks 2 and 3 are bad bad bad

 

[Red Rick]

Guys hold on I actually missed that Muro del whatever del Poggio is in the finale of a stage. It's impossible. Armageddon is nigh

 

[Gigs_98]

Guys hold on I actually missed that Muro del whatever del Poggio is in the finale of a stage. It's impossible. Armageddon is nigh

Are all riders accidently gonna turn left to ride up the Monte Grappa from the sh*ttiest side possible? Muscle memory might kick in...

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I mean, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 15, 18, 21 look pretty sprinty to me

2, 6 and 18 are for sure too hard for the sprinters, a Pedersen type can win there but even for him it's on the limit. 5 is hard enough to get rid of a lot of people too if anyone wants to push it on the climb, and then we are down to 5 opportunities.