The 2026 Giro d’Italia Women looks absolutely brutal, but hey, that could be very good news for the Canadian contingent.
The nine-day stage race, which begins May 30 in Cesenatico and ends June 7 in Saluzzo, features just about everything: sprint stages, punchy terrain, a mountain time trial, huge Dolomite climbs and the legendary Colle delle Finestre on the penultimate day.
And this year, we’ve got a whole buncha Canucks heading to Italy, and it’s going to be a very exciting week and a bit.
The Canadians
A total of eight Canadians are set to race the second women’s Grand Tour of the season, with realistic chances at everything from sprint results to mountain breakaways and strong GC rides.
World champ Magdeleine Vallières Mill of EF Education-Oatly, of Sherbrooke, Que. is there. The climber should be right at home once the race hits the high mountains, especially on stages like the uphill time trial to Nevegal and the massive Sestriere showdown featuring the Colle delle Finestre.
Another rider who could shine is Isabella Holmgren of Lidl – Trek. The Oro-Medonte, Ont. superstar continues to impress on the road, and already looks comfortable at some top level after major performances earlier this year. But remember her Tour de l’Avenir win? She smoked everyone in the hillclimb TT.
Last year she was superb, finishing 7th overall, second in the white jersey competition. Sure, she has Niamh Fisher-Black as her designated team leader, but the multiple world champion may very well be part of a two-pronged strategy for Lidl-Trek. The hill climb TT will suit Holmgren very, very well.
Canada also brings massive firepower for the faster finishes. Maggie Coles-Lyster of Human Powered Health should be in the mix on the flatter stages into Ravenna and Brescello, particularly if reduced bunch sprints emerge after the Giro’s typically chaotic positioning battles.
Nadia Gontova of Liv AlUla Jayco could be one to watch on the punchier terrain later in the race. She had a fabulous showing recently in Spain. There’s Alison Jackson and Clara Émond to give St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 two dangerous options for aggressive stages and breakaways. Remember, Émond won a stage in 2024. 2023 Paris-Roubaix winner Jackson can always get a big result in the biggest races. Remember, the national champ had a beautiful stage win at another Grand Tour, the Vuelta España Femenina.
Team Picnic PostNL’s Mara Roldan also continues her return to racing after injury. The Whitehorse rider is riding herself back into fine form, and before you know it, she’ll be back on the leaderboard.
Great to see the 22-year-old pro back where she belongs—in the middle of a big race.
The route itself looks designed to create attrition. After a pair of likely sprint stages, the race shifts toward the climbers with the 12.7-km uphill time trial on Stage 4, followed by a major Dolomite day into Santo Stefano di Cadore.
The queen stage to Sestriere should ultimately decide the overall standings, but the final day around Saluzzo is still hard enough to spark late attacks and GC drama.
It’s gonna be a helluva week (and a bit) of racing. You can watch every stage on FloBikes.com, and Canadian Cycling Magazine will have reports daily.
Tune in though, cuz this year’s Giro could be a banger.