ROME, Italy – Organizers have unveiled an expanded route for the 2026 Giro d’Italia Women, adding a ninth stage and bringing the total distance to a challenging 1,153.7 kilometers. The race, presented today in Rome, promises to test riders with significant elevation gain and two demanding summit finishes, including a first-time ascent of the Colle delle Finestre. With reigning champion Elisa Longo Borghini expected to return, the 2026 edition is shaping up to be a premier event in the women’s professional cycling calendar.
Giro Rosa to Add a Day of Racing in 2026, Totaling 1,153.7 km
From Cesenatico – where the race will begin on Saturday, May 30 – to Saluzzo, with the finale scheduled for Sunday, June 7: this is the route for the Giro d’Italia Women, organized for the third consecutive year by RCS Sports & Events and presented today at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome. The 2026 edition will feature nine stages, one more than the last two editions, covering a total of 1153.7 km and boasting 12,500 meters of elevation gain. Two summit finishes are on the schedule: the fourth stage from Belluno to Nevegal, a climb mirroring that faced by the men in the 2011 Giro d’Italia, and the eighth stage from Rivoli to Sestriere, where riders will tackle the Colle delle Finestre for the first time in the race’s history – the highest point of the race at 2178 meters. The first two stages, finishing in Ravenna and Caorle, are expected to favor the sprinters, while the third stage to Buja includes several short, steep climbs in the finale. Following the time trial, the fifth day from Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore will be a classic Dolomitic stage with four categorized climbs and few opportunities for recovery. Brescello, stage six, awaits the fast finishers, while the arrival in Salice Terme (the penultimate stage) offers open terrain for various tactical approaches. Saturday, June 6th, features the queen stage, which after the ascent of Finestre, culminates in Sestriere. The final act, with a start and finish in Saluzzo, features a rolling course that could still shake up the general classification if the race remains close. Elisa Longo Borghini has triumphed in both 2024 and 2025, and was present in Rome today, and the rider from UAE-ADQ is also considered a favorite for the 2026 edition.
GIRO D’ITALIA WOMEN 2026
May 30 – Stage 1: Cesenatico-Ravenna, 139 km 31.5
May 31 – Stage 2: Roncade H-Farm-Caorle, 146 km 1.6
June 1 – Stage 3: Bibione-Buja, 154 km 2.6
June 2 – Stage 4: Belluno-Nevegal (time trial), 12.7 km 3.6
June 3 – Stage 5: Longarone-Santo Stefano di Cadore, 138 km 4.6
June 4 – Stage 6: Ala-Brescello, 155 km 5.6
June 5 – Stage 7: Sorbolo Mezzani-Salice Terme, 165 km 6.6
June 6 – Stage 8: Rivoli-Sestriere, 101 km 7.6
June 7 – Stage 9: Saluzzo-Saluzzo, 143 km
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