This is his last Giro and he did it in a place where harmony and culture reign; the eternal and familiar music of Ennio Morricone, since the room is dedicated to the immensity of the great two-time Oscar-winning maestro. Presented today in Rome in the presence of many authorities and few athletes, along with the women's edition (from Cesenatico to Saluzzo, nine stages from May 30 to June 7), the Giro after Albania discovers Bulgaria (first three stages from the Black Sea to Sofia). It emerges in almost total media silence. The 2026 edition was revealed via social and streaming, no national broadcaster. Is it discretion or desertion? Too bad that one of the most nationally popular events, on par with the Sanremo Festival, is far from the cycling crowd.

This is Mauro Vegni's last Giro, as we were saying. A lifetime organizing races (he started at 17 with Franco Mealli, the inventor of Tirreno-Adriatico, ed.) and since 2004 operational director of the "pink race". It will be his last Giro as the architect of Italy's most beloved race, one of the most prestigious in the world. And a design that winks at those who, strongly focusing on the Tour, can win in Italy without going off-beat, without exhausting themselves too much, and can therefore also think of going to the Grande Boucle with a good reserve of energy. The same approach made a couple of years ago to attract Pogacar to the pink network, who then, as the absolute master (winning six stages and the race, ed.), did a double in France.

"It's a demanding and uniform Giro - Mauro Vegni explains to us -. Obviously, we hope it will be well evaluated by teams and various champions. If I were Jonas Vingegaard, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to come and race it, especially because if he won, he would complete the Grand Tours collection before Pogacar, having already won the Tour (twice) and the Vuelta".

The "pink race" will start for the sixteenth time from abroad, and after 3,459 kilometers, 50,000 meters of elevation gain, the 109th edition will conclude in Rome, at the Imperial Forums, on Sunday, May 31. The menu is rich and abundant: an individual time trial of 40.2 kilometers; 8 flat stages; 7 medium mountain and 5 high mountain stages with 7 summit finishes. The Cima Coppi of the Giro will be on Passo Giau, at 2,233 meters.

Beyond the Balkan start, there will be a crossing into Switzerland with a stage entirely in Swiss territory, from Bellinzona to Carì. And then Milan returns, which will host the Giro for the 90th time: the stage? For sprinters. Fifty years will have passed since the terrible earthquake in Friuli, so departure from Gemona (1976-2026), while the pink race will remember Marco Pantani at Piani di Pezzè and Gino Bartali in the time trial from Viareggio to Massa.

"It's a uniform Giro - the director Mauro Vegni explains to us -. Three weeks characterized by an alternation of short and demanding stages and others longer but that invite battle. The hope is that there won't be banal days, the so-called dead stages. First week dynamic to create the classification, with Blockhaus, the Muri fermani and then Corno alle Scale. We restart with a demanding time trial, which will be fundamental for the classification men and then there's Milan, returning to the Giro's score after a few years and for the ninetieth time in the history of our most nationally popular race. Beware of the Swiss stage Bellinzona-Carì: it will be short and explosive. Then Andalo and the finish in Alleghe and the double climb of Piancavallo, as a final and unappealable test".

Vingegaard and Evenepoel are not random names: they are the two who have sent messages to the Giro.
"As far as we know, they want to come, we're counting on it: they would be two first-magnitude stars, on this I believe there can be no discussion. Pogacar? He'll return...".

"It's an idea that intrigues me, even if the Tour remains the priority: we'll evaluate with the team if we can combine the two things", says the Danish fisher king.

Evenepoel also reflects, two previous attempts in Italy and as many withdrawals: "A 40-kilometer time trial would be very suitable for a rider like me" he explained in recent days, the undisputed king of the time trial.

It's the last Giro of the Giro director Mauro Vegni, who will retire on February 28th.
"The Giro closest to my heart? The one I never designed, the one that remained in my heart: I would have wanted a Giro made of hugs that would welcome all of Italy in one go, but it was impossible. As impossible as it was to do a Grand Start in America. We explored the possibility in the early 2000s (2005/2006), after the departure of the great Carmine Castellano in 2002, thanks to the interest of a great political figure of the First Republic, but we didn't make it, not so much because of the Americans, but because of a mentality too bound to tradition: people complain every time the race starts abroad, imagine if we had started from America".

Even today, problems with the start from Bulgaria: teams are up in arms, asking for adequate compensation for the inconvenience.
"We have always recognized compensation for this type of transfer - Vegni specifies -. We know well that it is not an easy thing, we know well that it is a great sacrifice for everyone, but they also know or should know that organizing such events today is increasingly difficult and we must go where there are significant economic resources. As always, we must find a meeting point, as always we will find it".

THE STAGES

Friday, May 8, 2026 1st stage NESSEBAR / НЕСЕБЪР - BURGAS / БУРГАС km 156 **
Saturday, May 9, 2026 2nd stage BURGAS / БУРГАС - VELIKO TARNOVO / ВЕЛИКО ТЪРНОВО km 220 ***
Sunday, May 10, 2026 3rd stage PLOVDIV / ПЛОВДИВ - SOFIA / СОФИЯ km 174 **

Monday, May 11, 2026 rest
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 4th stage CATANZARO - COSENZA km 144 **
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 5th stage PRAIA A MARE - POTENZA km 204 ***
Thursday, May 14, 2026 6th stage PAESTUM - NAPLES km 161 **
Friday, May 15, 2026 7th stage FORMIA - BLOCKHAUS km 246 A ****
Saturday, May 16, 2026 8th stage CHIETI - FERMO km 159 ***
Sunday, May 17, 2026 9th stage CERVIA - CORNO ALLE SCALE km 184 A ***

Monday, May 18, 2026 rest day
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 10th stage VIAREGGIO - MASSA TUDOR ITT km 40.2 ***
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 11th stage PORCARI (Paper District) - CHIAVARI km 178 ***
Thursday, May 21, 2026 12th stage IMPERIA - NOVI LIGURE km 177 **
Friday, May 22, 2026 13th stage ALESSANDRIA - VERBANIA km 186 ***
Saturday, May 23, 2026 14th stage AOSTA - PILA km 133 A *****
Sunday, May 24, 2026 15th stage VOGHERA - MILANO km 136 *

Monday, May 25, 2026 rest day
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 16th stage BELLINZONA - CARÌ km 113 A ****
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 17th stage CASSANO D'ADDA - ANDALO km 200 A ***
Thursday, May 28, 2026 18th stage FAI DELLA PAGANELLA - PIEVE DI SOLIGO km 167 **
Friday, May 29, 2026 19th stage FELTRE - ALLEGHE (Piani di Pezzè) km 151 A *****
Saturday, May 30, 2026 20th stage GEMONA DEL FRIULI 1976-2026 - PIANCAVALLO km 199 A ****
Sunday, May 31, 2026 21st stage ROME - ROME km 131 *