Preview: Is Jonas Vingegaard about to run away with the Giro d'Italia?

Cor Vos

The first men's Grand Tour of 2026 is almost here, and some big names are gearing up for the action. Rolling out from Bulgaria for the first time in history, the Giro d'Italia gets underway on Friday.

With 2025 Giro winner Simon Yates now enjoying the retired life on the heels of his dramatic victory last year, a new group of contenders will vie for the pink jersey this time around. Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard is the clear headliner. Having taken a Vuelta a España title last year, the 29-year-old Dane, a two-time Tour de France winner, needs only the Giro now to complete the Grand Tour set, and given his dominance at Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya, he has reason to be confident heading into his Giro debut.

Still, there are a few rising stars and some old hands too who are looking to upset the big favorite when the GC action heats up on the Blockhaus climb on stage 7 and in the Dolomites in the third week. Meanwhile, there are also plenty of fast finishers set to roll out in Bulgaria with the possibility of racking up several stage wins over the next three weeks.

Preview: Your stage-by-stage guide to the 2026 Giro d’ItaliaFrom a first-ever start in Bulgaria to the mountaintop finishes that will decide the overall, here’s what you need to know about the 21 stages of the season’s first Grand Tour.Escape CollectiveDane Cash

Assuming you've already checked out our stage-by-stage guide for all the key details on the route, here is everything you need to know about the big names set to battle for Grand Tour glory this month.

The GC favorites

We'll cut right to the chase with a breakdown of our top favorites for the general classification ...

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