Giro d’Italia 2026 form guide: Ranking the general classification contenders

Grand Tour season kicks off this week with the Giro d’Italia , which begins in Bulgaria before criss-crossing Italy en route to the now-traditional finish in Rome. Last year’s edition proved to be an instant classic, with young starlet Isaac del Toro first establishing himself as the dominant rider within his own team, then the dominant rider within the race, leading the general classification standings until the penultimate day. But his hopes of a maiden Grand Tour title crumbled as Simon Yates - cruelly denied on the very same climb in the 2018 edition - stormed away on the Colle delle Finestre to leapfrog him into the maglia rosa and complete a brilliant redemption arc.

Yates’ surprise retirement shortly before this season began means there will be no title defence for the former Visma-Lease a Bike rider, while 2024 champion Tadej Pogacar opted to prioritise the Spring Classics and a bid for a fifth Tour de France title this summer. That leaves the door open to a host of other contenders in what should be another fascinating edition of the Giro. Who isn’t riding?

The Giro field has been weakened by the withdrawal of UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Joao Almeida , who ran Jonas Vingegaard close at the Vuelta a Espana last year. The race had been billed as another showdown between the pair, with the Portuguese rider expected to lead the UAE team in Italy. But he confirmed less than two weeks before the start of the race that illness would prevent him from taking part.

Almeida enjoyed a breakout performance at the race in 2020 and is a former podium finisher, with his absence a major blow for both UAE and for the race itself. Jonas Vingegaard could become just the eighth rider to complete the clean sweep of Grand Tours (AP) Spain’s Mikel Landa has endured a torrid run at Grand Tours recently and will also miss out with a fractured pelvis, which he suffered when a race organiser’s car crashed into him at the Itzulia Basque Country stage race last month. The 36-year-old had not been expected to be a major contender but is a two-time former podium finisher, most recently in 2022, and a wily operator who top riders are rightly wary of.