The Giro d’Italia Women will also take on the ultimate “monster”: the Colle delle Finestre.
Since its debut in 2005, it has become a decisive turning point of the Corsa Rosa, the stage for legendary exploits such as Chris Froome’s 2018 masterpiece and, more recently, the redemption of Simon Yates.
The climb is brutally hard – 18.5 km at an average gradient of 9.2%, with the final 8 km on gravel making it even more selective – linking the Susa Valley to the Chisone Valley and pushing all the favourites to their limits; yet even after the descent it’s not over, as Sestriere (16.2 km at 3.8%) could prove decisive with riders on their last reserves, and it’s here that the 2026 Giro Women will, in all likelihood, be decided.