Different stories, intersecting destinies: the history of the Giro d’Italia dedicated to women also begins in Milan, symbolically retracing the origins of the men’s race (first held in 1909). The women's event was not hold until many years later, starting with a three kilometre prologue that did not award time gaps. It took place 1988 and the race ran from 21 to 29 June.
The winner then was Maria Canins, one of the great figures of Italian cycling, already a two-time Tour de France Féminin champion (1985 and 1986) and a former cross-country skier, a discipline in which she had claimed 15 Italian titles. At 39 years old, she won the first Giro d’Italia Donne — the only one of her career.
Just as Maria Canins did in 1988, in today's era of racing, another Italian has returned to the spotlight: Elisa Longo Borghini. Winner of the 2024 and 2025 editions, Longo Borghini took part in the official presentation of the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 alongside that of the men’s race — a powerful signal of the progress made by women’s cycling. On that occasion, she said that winning in front of her family, two years in a row, was “a wonderful emotion.”
The Giro d’Italia Women in 2026 will start in Cesenatico on 30 May and finish in Saluzzo on 7 June, after nine stages covering 1153.7 kilometres with a total of 12,500 metres of elevation gain. It is a demanding route, featuring one more stage than the previous two editions and bringing with it historic new features and two summit finishes likely to shape the general classification.
The two summit finishes are the Belluno–Nevegal Tudor ITT on the fourth stage, and the Rivoli–Sestriere on the eighth. The 12.7km individual time trial is a short but selective uphill time trial, on a route already used in the 2011 Giro. After a brief downhill start, the road rises in three distinct sections: around three kilometres at 3% up to Caleipo, followed by a gruelling four-kilometre stretch consistently above 10% with peaks of 14%, and finally a couple of more regular kilometres.
The penultimate stage is one of the defining moments of the 2026 edition, as it will include – for the first time in the race’s history – the ascent of the Colle delle Finestre, designated as the Cima Alfonsina Strada. It spans 18 kilometres combining asphalt and gravel, with punishing gradients reaching 14%. A technical descent will lead into the final climb to Sestriere, ideal terrain for GC contenders.
The inclusion of the Colle delle Finestre, an iconic climb in Italian cycling, makes clear just how demanding this route is. The Giro Women will conclude with the Saluzzo–Saluzzo stage, a rolling and unpredictable finale. Its central section features the trio of Montoso–Colletta di Paesana–Colletta di Brondello, a sequence capable of igniting the race before a run-in that could still encourage last-minute surprises.
It is also worth considering that before reaching the closing stages of the Giro, the riders will already have tackled other demanding stages, such as stage five from Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore. It is a true Dolomite stage, running through the Piave and Boite valleys on the way to Cortina d’Ampezzo, a prelude to the first real climbs: Passo Tre Croci and Passo di Sant’Antonio open the road to the final circuit, marked by a double ascent of Costalissoio.
The following day, stage six, brings the longest stage of the Giro, from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme, covering 165 kilometres. The first part is flat and fast, but the rhythm changes in the Val Tidone: the short, sharp climbs of Pietragavina and the Castello di Oramala could create selection ahead of a possible sprint finish.
With such a mountainous back-loaded route, the pink jersey may not be decided until the very last minute of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women which should make for an exciting and engaging battle between the biggest stars of women's cycling.
