The Giro d'Italia winds through three weeks and 21 stages of the most breathtaking scenery in cycling — from foreign Grande Partenze to snow-capped Dolomite passes — delivering the drama, suffering, and beauty that make it many cycling fans' favorite Grand Tour over even the Tour de France. Watching the maglia rosa climb through mountain villages while tifosi line the roads in a riot of flares and flags is an experience that captures everything magnificent about Italian passion and the sport of cycling.
The Grande Partenza location changes every year — in 2026 the race opened in Bulgaria before heading to Italy. The final stage in Rome is a ceremonial parade circuit around the Colosseum and Fori Imperiali finishing in a sprint. Mountain summit finishes (Blockhaus, Stelvio, Zoncolan, Piancavallo) are the most atmospheric; arrive the evening before to secure a roadside spot as roads close hours before the peloton. The village départ each morning is intimate and free — riders and team buses are accessible in ways impossible at the Tour de France. Combining the race with Italian food and wine across multiple regions makes this as much a culinary trip as a sporting one.