Giro 2026: home rider Bettiol warns of tough finale, Wout Poels sees chances

In our preview, we look at riders such as Jhonnatan Narvaez, Christian Scaroni, and Giulio Ciccone for the thirteenth stage, but how tough is this transition stage really? We already got some answers before the start.

After a largely flat stage, the riders face two short but steep climbs in the finale. First comes the climb to Bieno (2.3 km at 6%), followed by the heavier ascent to Ungiasca (4.7 km at 7%), with sections reaching up to 10%. The summit of this last climb is about fourteen kilometers from the finish.

In terms of gradient, that seems manageable for many riders, but home rider Alberto Bettiol is not so sure. “In the second week of the Giro d’Italia, everyone is already quite tired. It’s not the same as climbing that hill in a one-day race scenario. You need the right focus and mindset, which is even more important than the legs,” he told Eurosport.

According to Bettiol, the final climb is especially tough. “That’s really heavy duty. It gets worse the closer you get to the top. I’ve ridden there quite often and it’s definitely too hard for me. Then there’s a very technical descent where you really fly down. If you’re alone there, it will be tough for others to catch back.”

From a Dutch perspective, you might think of Wout Poels from Rose Rockets for such a route. “The GC teams will want to save energy, so the breakaway certainly has a chance,” he said to Eurosport. “But everyone knows that. It will be a very difficult day to be in the break because so many riders want the same. But we will try again.”

“I like the finale, the little climbs suit me,” Poels admits. “But the biggest challenge will be getting into the right breakaway. Then a lot is possible, I think.”