Giro 2026 Route stage 16: Bellinzona

Giro 2026 Route stage 16: Bellinzona - Carì

Tuesday, 26 May – The 16th stage of the Giro takes the riders into Switzerland. The 113-kilometre-long course packs nearly 3,000 metres of climbing and finishes on an 11.2-kilometre climb averaging 8%.

For: climbers and GC contenders
Key feature: compact mountain stage, summit finish

Both Bellinzona and Carì last saw a professional peloton in the Tour de Suisse. For the start town, we have to go back to in 2018. Stage 8 was a circuit race won by Arnaud Démare, followed the next day by Stefan Küng taking the time trial in Bellinzona, while Richie Porte secured the overall victory.

For the finish town, Carì, it’s more recent. In 2024, Adam Yates won in the mountain village ahead of João Almeida and Egan Bernal.

The riders set off from Bellinzona on a gentle note. They spend the first 20 kilometres racing through the Ticino Valley to Biasca, before gradually heading uphill along the Brenno, culminating in the 4.2-kilometre climb at 6.2% to Torre. In Ponto Valentino, the route turns back, and on the opposite side of the river, another climb awaits. The riders leave the valley floor and ascend the mountainside to Leontica. The 3-kilometre climb averages 8.2%, after which they descend back to the Brenno to repeat the loop.

After the second downhill from Leontica, the riders leave the Brenno Valley and head back to the Ticino Valley. They follow the river upstream to the foot of the final climb to Carì, which rises for 11.2 kilometres at an average of 8%.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 16th stage 2026 Giro d’Italia.