Giro Women 2026: preview stage 1, Wiebes gets golden chance for pink jersey

While the Giro d'Italia for men is coming to an end, the women's Giro starts on Saturday. In the opening stage, the sprinters get a golden opportunity. Will Lorena Wiebes strike immediately and claim the pink jersey? Or can Charlotte Kool surprise the top favorite? WielerFlits takes a look ahead!

Route

The start location Cesenatico is, as you surely know, Pantani country. But there are definitely no climbs in this opening stage. The highest point of the stage is just over 22 meters and 31 centimeters above sea level. Nonetheless, it is crucial to stay alert right from the start. Just ask Annemiek van Vleuten how she lost the Giro in 2017 a little further north in the Po delta. No leisurely chatting at the back of the peloton; anyone who wants to win the Giro must be there when it breaks apart.

When it breaks apart. Because that does not have to happen, of course. The roads are largely open all day, but whether there is a chance for echelon formation depends on the wind direction. And of course, on the riders themselves.

The first 85 kilometers generally head northwest, then turn northeast for about 25 kilometers. Shortly after the intermediate sprint in Alfonsine, the route goes south towards the circuit in Ravenna for the last fifty kilometers. In this very scenic city, a circuit of about 13.1 kilometers awaits the riders.

The finish is not in the most beautiful part of the city, but that would be too risky. Nestled between the train station and the water, a stretch of road is ready for a generous sprint. If everything goes well at 2.2 kilometers (U-turn) and at 400 meters from the finish (left-right combination), that generous sprint will normally come to pass.

Classifications

Favorites

We will most likely see a bunch sprint in Ravenna. And when you say "bunch sprint," you say Lorena Wiebes. The Dutch champion is nearly unbeatable when the peloton charges towards the line. She often wins by several bike lengths, sometimes by half a street, as recently in the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas. There she extended her win tally for 2026 to eight.

The biggest challenger to Wiebes on paper is a compatriot: Charlotte Kool. She is also in great form. While she only notched one victory last year, she has already won four times this season for Fenix-Premier Tech. Kool is also one of the few riders who knows what it’s like to beat Wiebes in a straight sprint duel. She has done so several times, although the last was indeed in the 2024 Tour de France Femmes.

With Nienke Veenhoven and Marjolein van 't Geloof there are more Dutch sprinters to watch, but keep an eye on the Italians as well. Especially Elisa Balsamo and Chiara Consonni have very fast legs. The latter has finished second behind Wiebes twice this year.

Lara Gillespie also recorded several podium places this spring, alongside a victory in the Beobank Samyn Ladies. The Irish rider is especially fast after a tougher race but will definitely get involved in this bunch sprint as well. We expect the same from Georgia Baker, Maggie Coles-Lyster, and the British top talent Cat Ferguson.

Weather and TV

It will be a hot day on the Adriatic coast. Temperatures will rise to 30 degrees Celsius in the afternoon with full sunshine. Perhaps the eastern sea breeze (3 Beaufort) will provide some cooling.