2026 Giro d'Italia Women Stage 8 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 8 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia Women is a monstrous endeavour of 105 kilometres featuring 2,800 metres of elevation gain, almost all of which is packed into the final 44 kilometres. After the partly unpaved Colle delle Finestre, the road continues to rise all the way to Sestriere over the final 16 kilometres.
Last year, the men’s Giro was decided on these exact same roads, and it would come as no surprise if the Giro d’Italia Women is also decided in Sestriere. The Colle delle Finestre in particular is a climb of attrition if ever there was one.
It all starts out on a different note, though. After the riders clip in at Rivoli, just west of Milan, the opening phase is fairly unremarkable. A false flat leads to Giaveno, and after Avigliana the route runs for dozens of kilometres through the valley. But then it begins... The Colle delle Finestre is a steady climb, but one with gradients that almost constantly hover between 9 and 10%. The pass is 18.5 kilometres long and, to make matters even tougher, the second half is unpaved. The summit comes 27.5 kilometres from the finish.
The descent is narrow and technical, after which the climb to the winter sports resort of Sestriere begins in Pragelato. This is another long undertaking, although a much gentler one. Of the 16.2 kilometres in total, the opening 7 kilometres are little more than an extended false flat, while the remainder is also manageable, rising at just over 5% on average.
There are time bonuses of 6, 4 and 2 seconds up for grabs at the intermediate sprint, while the first three riders across the line receive 10, 6 and 4 seconds. Get more details at cyclingstage.com.
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