Giro dell'Emilia 2026 preview | Pidcock, Healy, Tulett, and more Vs the new World Champion

The fact that the Giro dell'Emilia does not have WorldTour status says little about the race’s prestige. The race has been around since 1909, and its list of winners certainly speaks for itself. Primož Roglič has won it three times, while in the recent past, Tadej Pogačar, Enric Mas, and Aleksandr Vlasov have also taken home the victory.

Last year, it was Isaac del Toro who came out on top at San Luca. The Mexican defeated Tom Pidcock after a thrilling final, with Lenny Martinez finishing third. Del Toro is not currently on the 2026 start list, but Pidcock and Martinez will be returning. The Brit certainly has a score to settle: he finished second in both 2024 and 2025.

2025 Isaac Del Toro
2024 Tadej Pogacar
2023 Primož Roglič
2022 Enric Mas
2021 Primož Roglič
2020 Aleksandr Vlasov
2019 Primož Roglič
2018 Alessandro De Marchi
2017 Giovanni Visconti
2016 Esteban Chaves

For the 109th edition, the organisers have tweaked the traditional route. This time, the race starts in Ferrara, where the riders will set off from the Castello Estense on their journey toward Bologna. The total course covers just under 198 kilometers and over 2,200 meters of elevation gain, but the first half of the race is still relatively easy.

From the flat terrain around Ferrara, the peloton heads south, and it isn’t until about 100 kilometers in that the serious climbing begins. The first major climb is Loiano: 6.6 kilometers with an average gradient of 5.7 percent. It’s not exactly a wall, but it’s an ideal spot to pick up the pace.

Next comes a much more challenging new section. Around Pianoro, the organizers have included a steep climb of about 1.8 kilometers with an average gradient of over 9 percent. According to the organizers, some sections even reach a gradient of about 15 percent. This gives the climbers an opportunity to wear down their competitors’ legs even before reaching Bologna.

But ultimately, the Giro dell'Emilia is, of course, all about one name: San Luca. Once in Bologna, the riders will tackle the famous climb to the Santuario della Madonna di San Luca no fewer than five times. The first passage takes the peloton onto the local circuit, after which that lap is completed in its entirety four more times.

San Luca is about 2.1 kilometers long with an average gradient of 9.4 percent. That average doesn’t really tell the whole story, though, because at the famous Orfanelle curve, the gradient approaches 18 percent. Anyone who can still accelerate there after nearly 200 kilometers simply needs a pair of exceptionally strong legs. The fifth and final climb leads straight to the finish.

That might make the 2026 edition even tougher than usual. The combination of Loiano, the steep climbs near Pianoro, and then five ascents of San Luca means that explosive power alone probably won’t be enough. The riders who still have a strong finish deep into the final stretch will first have to survive a pretty serious elimination race.

Weather report
For now, the weather looks excellent in Bologna. Temperatures are expected to reach around 26 degrees Celsius, with plenty of sunshine and hardly any wind. For an Italian fall classic, those are almost summer-like conditions.

Important times
Official start: 9:50 a.m GMT
Finish at San Luca: Around 2:11 p.m GMT

The full start list has not yet been announced, so these are provisional names.

A look back at the past two editions inevitably brings you to Tom Pidcock. The Brit finished second behind Tadej Pogačar in 2024 and was beaten only by Isaac Del Toro last year. Third time’s the charm? In any case, the course suits him perfectly: steep climbs, technical descents, and an explosive final climb. And his two UAE rivals aren’t there this time.

UAE Emirates-XRG is fielding Brandon McNulty, the brand-new world champion. All eyes will be on the American, who pulled off a surprise victory in Montreal (Canada) and will be racing in his rainbow jersey for the first time in Italy. With Adam Yates, Tim Wellens, Jhonatan Narváez, Felix Grossschartner, and Igor Arrieta, UAE actually has five other contenders as well.

The other strong teams competing around Bologna on Saturday are Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Visma | Lease a Bike, and, of course, Soudal Quick-Step. The Belgian team will field the experienced Mikel Landa, but we shouldn’t rule out Filippo Zana and Mauri Vansevenant either. For Red Bull, the very young Lorenzo Finn has already been confirmed, but many other team leaders will be racing in the European Championships on Sunday.

At Bahrain Victorious, we expect to see Lenny Martinez, a rider who’s perfect for this course. Pello Bilbao should also be in the mix, and Red Bull is fielding some interesting names as well, including Jai Hindley, Daniel Felipe Martínez, and Florian Lipowitz. EF Education-EasyPost will likely start with Ben Healy, who showed great form at the World Championships.

The same goes for Matteo Jorgenson at Visma, though we’re also noting Ben Tulett and World Championship dark horse Jørgen Nordhagen. Netcompany INEOS, with Oscar Onley, Thymen Arensman, and Magnus Sheffield, can also be considered a very strong contender. Other contenders for the win? Marc Hirschi (Tudor), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), and Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché) are on the list.

Worth noting: the presence of Nairo Quintana, who will be riding his final race as a pro with Movistar.

Top Favorite: Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5)
Dark horses: Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché), Daniel Felipe Martínez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ)
Long shots: Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Lorenzo Finn, Florian Lipowitz, Jai Hindley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Jhonatan Narváez, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Oscar Onley, Thymen Arensman, Magnus Sheffield (Netcompany INEOS), Matteo Jorgenson, Jørgen Nordhagen, Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike), Marc Hirschi (Tudor), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Mikel Landa, Filippo Zana, and Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step)