Giro Women 2026 Route stage 1: Cesenatico - Ravenna

Saturday 30 May – The opening stage of the Giro d’Italia Women takes the riders over 139 kilometres from Cesenatico to Ravenna. With just 100 metres of elevation gain, the route can safely be described as flat.

The likes of Lorena Wiebes, Charlotte Kool and Elisa Balsamo are handed a dream start to a Grand Tour. The opening stage is extremely flat, while stage 2 is also a clear opportunity for the sprinters. Last year, Wiebes won two of the nine stages, and she could quite easily match that tally within the first two days this time around.

The start and finish are located within 35 kilometres of one another on the Adriatic coast. After the start, the riders head north and skirt around the western side of Ravenna before looping back from the north. The stage then concludes with three laps of a 13.2-kilometre circuit on the eastern side of town.

There are time bonuses of 6, 4 and 2 seconds up for grabs at the intermediate sprint, while the first three riders across the line receive 10, 6 and 4 seconds.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 1st stage 2026 Giro Women.

Stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia Women starts at 15:20, with the finish expected around 18:40 - both local times (CEST). For more details, see the timings in the slideshow below this article.