2026 Giro d'Italia Women
| 2026 UCI Women's World Tour, race 19 of 27 | |
|---|---|
| Race details | |
| Dates | 30 May – 7 June 2026 |
| Stages | 9 |
| Distance | 1,153.7 km (716.9 mi) |
The 2026 Giro d'Italia Women will be the 37th edition of the Giro d'Italia Women, a women's road cycling stage race in Italy. The race will take place from 30 May – 7 June and will be the 19th event of the 2026 UCI Women's World Tour calendar. The race will be organised by RCS Sport, which also organise the men's Giro d'Italia.
The race has moved to June from its traditional July date – and will start on the same weekend as the finish of the men's race.[1] The race previously had to compete for attention with the more famous men's Tour de France, and organisers had previously stated that they wished to move the calendar position of the race, so that the race is not overshadowed.[2] Compared to other races in the UCI Women's World Tour, more ranking points will be awarded at the Giro d'Italia Women, Tour de France Femmes and the Vuelta Femenina – elevating these races in status.[3][4]
Route
In December 2025, the route was announced by organisers RCS Sport.[5] It will comprise nine days of racing with nine stages, covering a total of 1,153.7 kilometres (716.9 mi) with 12,500 metres (41,000 ft) of elevation gain. The race will start in Cesenatico, Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, before heading north through the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, before heading west through the Trentino, Lombardy and Piedmont regions. The race will finish in Saluzzo, Piedmont.[5][6][7]
The race will have two summit finishes, with a uphill time trial between Belluno and Nevegal in the Veneto region on stage 4, and a summit finish in Sestriere following the classic climb of Colle delle Finestre on stage 8.[6][7] The Colle delle Finestre climb is 18.5 km (11.5 mi) in length with an average gradient of 9.2%, with the final 8 km (5.0 mi) of the climb on gravel roads.[8] As the highest climb of the race, the first rider to pass Colle delle Finestre (2,178 metres (7,146 ft)) will be awarded the "Cima Alfonsina Strada" – a prize named after Italian cyclist Alfonsina Strada, who took part in the men's Giro d’Italia in 1924.[9]
The race returned to 9 stages in length, and will be the longest edition of the Giro d'Italia Women since the 2001 edition of the race. As with the previous editions, the route required a waiver from the Union Cycliste Internationale, as Women's WorldTour races have a maximum race length of six days.[10]
Reacting to the route, Rouleur stated that the "iconic climb" of Colle delle Finestre "makes clear just how demanding this route is" and that "pink jersey may not be decided until the very last minute" owing to the "mountainous back-loaded route".[7] Cycling News called the route "really tough", summarising that a "lowkey start builds to a big crescendo with the Colle delle Finestre, a tough stage in the Dolomites, and a challenging uphill [time trial]".[11] 2024 and 2025 winner Elisa Longo Borghini stated that she "really [likes] the route" and that "we needed an iconic climb like the Colle delle Finestre", and it "will decide the 2026 Giro Women".[12]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 May | Cesenatico to Ravenna | 139 km (86 mi) | Flat stage | ||
| 2 | 31 May | Roncade H-Farm to Caorle | 146 km (91 mi) | Flat stage | ||
| 3 | 1 June | Bibione to Buja | 154 km (96 mi) | Hilly stage | ||
| 4 | 2 June | Belluno to Nevegal | 12.7 km (7.9 mi) | Individual time trial | ||
| 5 | 3 June | Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore | 138 km (86 mi) | Mountain stage | ||
| 6 | 4 June | Ala to Brescello | 155 km (96 mi) | Flat stage | ||
| 7 | 5 June | Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme | 165 km (103 mi) | Hilly stage | ||
| 8 | 13 July | Rivoli to Sestriere | 101 km (63 mi) | Mountain stage | ||
| 9 | 14 July | Saluzzo to Saluzzo | 143 km (89 mi) | Mountain stage | ||
| Total | 1,153.7 km (716.9 mi) | |||||
References
- ^ Mitchell, Mathew (2025-06-12). "UCI approves 2026 Women's WorldTour calendar and introduces key reforms for women's cycling". Pro Cycling UK. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ Rogers, Owen (10 July 2022). "Rome the target for 2023 Giro Donne 'grande partenza'". cyclingweekly.com. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
Organisers confirm they are working with the UCI to ensure the race does not clash with the men's Tour de France
- ^ "Part II Road Races - Amendments to Regulations as from 20.10.2025" (PDF). Union Cycliste Internationale. 1 June 2025. p. 15. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
2.10.017 Points scale Women Elite
- ^ Price, Matilda (2025-06-20). "UCI points update brings Women's WorldTour system in line with men's, designating women's Monuments and boosting Tour de France Femmes". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b "Giro d'Italia Women 2026: here is the route". Giro d'Italia Women 2026. 1 Dec 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
- ^ a b Price, Matilda (2025-12-01). "Giro d'Italia Women route to tackle epic Colle delle Finestre and steep uphill time trial in tough 2026 race". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
- ^ a b c Camisa, Fulvia. "Giro d'Italia Women 2026 route: The Colle delle Finestre makes its debut". Rouleur. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
- ^ "Giro d'Italia Women 2026, a Thrilling Journey from Romagna to Saluzzo". Giro d'Italia Women 2026. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
- ^ "Giro d'Italia Women 2024: the route has been announced". www.giroditaliawomen.it. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
'Cima Alfonsina Strada', the highest peak of the race, established in memory of the cyclist who took part in the men's Giro d'Italia in 1924.
- ^ Frattini, Kirsten (2021-10-16). "A closer look reveals the inequity at Tour de France Femmes". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
Regarding, the number of days of competition during a stage race, the UCI sets the elite women's stage races at six days, unless an exemption is made by its Management Committee.
- ^ Price, Matilda (2025-12-02). "A climber-friendly course that could get in the way of Elisa Longo Borghini's third title – Analysing the Giro d'Italia Women route". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
- ^ Farrand, Stephen (2025-12-01). "'The Colle delle Finestre will decide the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women' – Elisa Longo Borghini eyes third consecutive victory next summer". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
- ^ "Giro d'Italia Women 2026: route and stages". Giro d'Italia Women 2026. Retrieved 2026-01-14.