For: climbers, GC contenders
Key features: this is the Giro’s most demanding stage
Feltre is situated in the southern foothills of the Alps, not far from the banks of the Piave. After a local loop, the riders head north towards the Dolomites. The opening phase is virtually flat, but that friendly introduction comes to an abrupt end after 60 kilometres when the peloton hits the Passo Duran in Agordo. It’s a brute of a climb, with long stretches nudging into double-digit gradients. In total it rises for 12.1 kilometres at an average gradient of 8.3%.
No sooner have they descended than the Passo Staulanza awaits. It’s an irregular ascent, mixing ramps of up to 11% with sections around 4%. On average, the Staulanza climbs at 6.7% over 12.5 kilometres.
A not-particularly-steep descent of just under 10 kilometres leads straight onto the Passo Giau, which is hardly a gentle climb either. The steepest section comes right at the bottom, hitting 14%. Not that it becomes plain sailing afterwards, as the gradient never drops below 8%. Over 9.8 kilometres, the Giau averages a punishing 9.3%.
Fourteen years ago, the Duran, Staulanza and Giau also appeared in this order in the Giro. That stage finished in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where Joaquim Rodríguez took the win.
Cortina d’Ampezzo lies practically at the foot of the Passo Giau. Whereas the riders headed straight to the finish in 2012, this time they face two further climbs. The first is the Passo Falzarego, a relatively straightforward ascent of 10.8 kilometres at 5.4%.
A descent of roughly 20 kilometres then drops the riders down to Lago di Alleghe, and after a short flat section along the lakeshore, the final climb begins. It rises for 5 kilometres at an average gradient of 9.8%, leading up to the plateau of the Piani di Pezzè, beautifully situated at 1,479 metres with views of the surrounding peaks.
Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 19th stage 2026 Giro d’Italia.
Giro d’Italia 2026 stage 19: route, profiles, videos
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