The men’s Giro is almost done, but the women’s edition is beginning. On Saturday, the 2026 Giro d’Italia Women begins.
The nine-stage route has major mountain days, a mountain time trial and the legendary Colle delle Finestre. And the good news for us Canadian cycling fans?
A whopping eight Canucks will be there for the second Grand Tour of the year for the Women’s WorldTour.
A tough 9 days of racing
The race opens Saturday with a likely sprint battle from Cesenatico to Ravenna before gradually ramping up in difficulty. A key early test comes on Stage 4 with a 12.7-km uphill time trial from Belluno to Nevegal.
The Dolomites return the following day with a hilly run to Santo Stefano di Cadore, while the sprinters should get another opportunity in Brescello on Stage 6.
Everything could come down to the penultimate stage into Sestriere, where riders will tackle the Colle delle Finestre in a nod to the men’s 2025 Giro finale. A tough closing stage to Saluzzo then offers one final chance to shake up the GC before the race ends June 7.
All the Canadians in Italy
World champ Magdeleine Vallières Mill and Alexandra Volstad of (EF Education-Oatly) will be there, along with Maggie Coles-Lyster of Human Powered Health. Vallières should do well on those tough mountain stages, and look for Coles-Lyster to light it up in the sprints.
It will be exciting to see how Isabella Holmgren (Lidl – Trek) fares in her second Giro. She’s shown already this year that she is quickly becoming one of the top riders in the Women’s WorldTour. She’s already had some big results on the road including a win at the Tour de l’Avenir. The multiple world champion should have a great ride in the mountain TT. It’s something she’s had success with in the past. Last year she finished 7th overall. Might she be further up in 2026?
Another rider that should do well on the lumpy stages is Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco). St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 is sending its dynamic duo of Alison Jackson and Clara Emond, and Team Picnic PostNL’s Mara Roldan continues her comeback.
Every stage will be broadcast on FloBikes.com, and Canadian Cycling Magazine will be sure to have a report right after. Stage 1 is live at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
Affiliate links present. Canadian Cycling Magazine may receive commissions
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…