What are the most interesting passages of the 2026 Giro d'Italia regulations? By examining the 21 pages of the booklet distributed to journalists (downloadable digitally from here), it is possible to find, for example, all the guidelines to protect riders in group sprints, as well as the criteria for calculating the maximum time in various stages and the points that will be awarded at sprints and finishes for the points jersey and on various climbs for the mountains jersey. Here are seven points to keep in mind.

The 3" Rule

It refers to the application of UCI article 2.6.027 and the protocol for alleged compact group sprint, which assigns all riders at the finish the same time if they cross the line with gaps of no more than 3" from one another (approximately 50 meters). The stages that fall under this regulation are the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 12th, 15th and 21st.

Neutralizations

Based on the same UCI article, a list of stages with time neutralization in the final kilometers is also drawn up in case of unforeseen events such as crashes or mechanical problems. Neutralization is placed at -5 km in stages 1, 4, 6, 12, 15 and 21 and at -3 km in stages 3, 5, 11, 13 and 18. In all others, it is absent.

Time Limits

These are based on the division of the five stage categories according to difficulty.

- Category A: 1st - 6th - 15th - 21st (stages without particular difficulty) - winner's time increased by 7% if the average speed is equal to or less than 40 km/h, by 8% if the average is between 40 and 45 km/h and by 10% if the average is greater than 45 km/h.

- Category B: 3rd - 4th - 12th - 18th (low difficulty stages) - winner's time increased by 9% if the average speed is equal to or less than 37 km/h, by 10% if the average is between 37 and 41 km/h and by 11% if the average is greater than 41 km/h.

- Category C: 2nd - 5th - 8th - 11th - 13th - 17th (medium difficulty stages) - winner's time increased by 11% if the average speed is equal to or less than 35 km/h, by 12% if the average is between 35 and 39 km/h, by 13% if the average is greater than 39 km/h.

- Category D: 7th - 9th - 14th - 16th - 19th - 20th (high difficulty stages) - for stages longer than 165 km, increase winner's time by 16% if the average speed is equal to or less than 30 km/h, by 17% if the average is between 30 and 34 km/h and by 18% if the average is greater than 34 km/h. If the stages are 165 km or less, the percentages become 19%, 21% and 22% respectively.

- Category E: 10th (individual time trial stage) - winner's time increased by 33%.

Points for the Points Jersey

In this case too, it is based on the stage category:

- Category A and B: (first 15 classified) - points awarded in order of finish are 50, 35, 25, 18, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

- Category C: (first 10 classified) - 25, 18, 12, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

- Category D and E: (first 10 classified) - 15, 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

At each intermediate sprint (one per stage) based on the order of passage, points will be awarded respectively (first 5 classified): 12, 8, 5, 3, 1.

Points for the Mountains Jersey

The points awarded are directly proportional to the difficulty of the climb being scaled. The Cima Coppi of the 2026 Giro d'Italia is the Passo Giau (19th stage) and awards 50, 30, 20, 14, 10, 6, 4, 2, 1 at the passage. These are the same points calculated when reaching a first category climb like the first on the Blockhaus (7th stage) to the last, namely Piancavallo (20th), at the passage the points are instead 40, 18, 12, 9, 6, 4, 2, 1.

For the 2nd category, the points at passage are 18, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. For the 3rd they are 9, 4, 2, 1, finally for the 4th they are 3, 2, 1.

Red Bull km

Special intermediate sprint, one per stage, which awards time bonuses of 6", 4" and 2" to the first three and points to the first five (15, 8, 5, 3 and 1) for the dedicated classification, which do not count towards the points classification. The first rider to pass each daily finish will wear a blue number in the next stage, except in the time trial. The red number concerns instead the most combative rider of the previous stage.

Tie in the General Classification

To determine who wears the pink jersey between two riders with the same time, we quote: "the first tiebreaker is given by the hundredths recorded in the individual time trial stage, the second is given by the lowest sum of placements obtained in each stage and ultimately by the best placement in the last stage disputed".