Giro 2026: preview of stage 16 to Carì, explosive mountain stage to Carì

The sixteenth stage is once again one for the climbers. The breakaway riders will try to hold on all the way to the finish this time, but due to the short distance, it could also end up favoring the GC contenders. WielerFlits looks ahead!

Route

After the rest day, the Giro on Tuesday, May 26, enters Switzerland for a short but tough mountain stage of 113 kilometers, from Bellinzona to Carì. Due to the limited distance, this promises to be an explosive stage.

The start in Bellinzona, known for its UNESCO-protected castles, is relatively calm. Then follows a circuit in the Brenno valley, where riders have to climb twice to Torre (4.2 km at 6.2%) and Leontica (3 km at 8.2%). These repeated efforts will cause fatigue in the peloton.

After this loop, the decisive phase begins with the final climb to Carì: 11.2 kilometers at 8%. This is a long and steep climb, inviting attacks from the GC contenders. This is a stage for pure climbers and a chance for overall contenders to gain time.

Classifications

Favorites

Jonas Vingegaard, with three stage wins to his name, will already be quite satisfied, while the other GC contenders realize they cannot match the Dane. It is therefore likely that the breakaway will succeed. Giulio Ciccone is undoubtedly the man to watch. The Italian from Lidl-Trek attacks on almost every mountain stage, but no breakaway he was part of has ever made it to the finish line. Still, he has almost always shown to be the strongest when he was there, so in our view, he is the man to beat.

Another rider who will have this stage circled in red is Wout Poels. The Rose Rockets rider made a good impression on the ride to Pila with an eighth place, despite the breakaway he was in being caught. Can he complete his trilogy? He will at least have to contend with Einer Rubio. The Colombian from Movistar knows what it’s like to win a Giro stage and can count on support from Enric Mas, who may also still try for the stage win.

Jan Hirt (NSN Cycling) was somewhat surprisingly one of the best climbers in the lead group on Saturday. The Czech also knows what it is like to win a Giro stage and with his experience, he will certainly be marked. His teammate Alessandro Pinarello could also be a contender for a top spot. Then there is Aleksandr Vlasov, who was given a free role on Saturday. His teammates Giulio Pellizzari and Jai Hindley could still have a chance at the stage win if the GC riders decide to battle it out.

The biggest favorite in that case is still Jonas Vingegaard. The GC leader has shown to be by far the best climber in this Giro and seems unbeatable if the breakaway fails. Much will depend on how Visma | Lease a Bike approaches the race. The only GC rider somewhat close to Vingegaard is Felix Gall. If he has a good day, he is the GC rider most likely after Vingegaard to win the stage.

Other riders from the overall top to watch are Davide Piganzoli (Visma | Lease a Bike), Thymen Arensman (Netcompany INEOS), and the Tudor duo Michael Storer and Mathys Rondel. Possible attackers who could still challenge for a podium place include Markel Beloki (EF Education-EasyPost), Filippo Zana (Soudal Quick-Step), and the Dutchman Koen Bouwman (Jayco AlUla).

Weather

It promises to be warm again in Switzerland on Tuesday. Temperatures will rise to as much as 29 degrees Celsius, with a light southwest wind. The riders should not expect rain along the way, although the final climb could be a different story. There, rain is indeed expected and the temperature will not exceed 21 degrees Celsius.