Buongiorno and welcome to stage 20 of the Giro d’Italia!

After three weeks of racing this year’s Giro d’Italia is reaching its climax. With tomorrow’s flat stage in Rome a ceremonial affair, today marks the last chance for any changes in the GC.

The riders might be desperate for a rest after yesterday’s unforgiving mountains test, but they’re not going to get one today. They have to climb the horrible Piancavallo not once but twice, and the amount of fatigue accumulated by now will make it even harder.

Giro d’Italia: Sepp Kuss triumphant on queen stage as Jonas Vingegaard lives up to promise

Here’s a more detailed look at what today’s stage has in store.

2026 Giro d’Italia stage 20 preview – One final opportunity to have an impact on the general classification top placings as Jonas Vingegaard set to win maglia rosa atop Piancavallo

Jonas Vingegaard, with few obstacles left in his way to winning the Maglia Rosa.

The Giro d’Italia women also gets underway today, with a stellar line-up of some of the very best in the world. Have a read of our analysis of the contenders.

Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini set to do battle, but super strong rivals could surprise them – Analysing the contenders for the Giro d’Italia Women

The riders have just rolled out from the unofficial start.

Though the Piancavallo is a proper, category one mountain, to get there the riders must first take on about 130km of almost completely flat road. That could make this an unusual start to the stage, with a very different set of riders best equipped to get into the break different that those best equipped to win the stage.

This is also set to be a very long stage, in excess of 200km, and so the riders legs will already be considerably sapped of strength even before they reach the final climbs.

The riders have paused briefly at the neutralised one by a cemetery, to pay their respects to those who passed away in an earthquake here fifty years ago.

There are still fifteen teams without a stage win at this race. With tomorrow likely to end in a sprint, this really is the last chance for many riders, and many teams, to put that right – so brace yourself for what might be the most desperate battle to get into the day’s break.

It’s another hot day at the Giro, with a cloudless sky greeting the riders.

OFFICIAL START

And we’re off! With multiple attacks right from the flag.

Gualdi has a gap, and this Giro’s eternal runner-up Leknessund has joined him.

They’re both brought back.

This was when the peloton pased to pay repects to the victims of the earthquake that devastated this region fifty years ago.

Lidl are very eager to get up the road, with Milan especially lively. He’s riding at the front now trying to get away.

Milan’s animated too, annoyed with Movistar’s Garcia Cortina – it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that it’s the same two teams, Movistar and Lidl-Trek that had beef yesterday in the breakaway.

Here was what Giulio Ciccone had to say about that fallout yesterday between himself and Einer Rubio.

‘Anger gave me even more grinta’ – Giulio Ciccone frustrated by mountains points spat as he misses out on stage win yet again at Giro d’Italia

190KM TO GO

Lots of attacks, but nothing’s stuck. This is a battle that could rage for a long time.

Three men do have a few seconds – a rider from Netcompany, Astana and another.

The other rider in this trio is from Alpecin.

Another group of five is ahead of that trio, and lead the race.

Those five riders: Haig, Leknessnd, Silva, Geens and Huens.

The peloton is already slowing down. If there’s not a response soon, this could be the break.

Warbasse, Tarozzi and Livyns are the three chasers.

There has been a response in the peloton now, which is strung in a long line again, but the leaders are already one minute up the road.

180KM TO GO

And that lead is still growing. It’s now up to 1:10, with the chasing trio also 30 seconds ahead of the peloton.

A Movistar rider tries to jump out the peloton, but is hunted down by the Visma domestiques.

More attacks are made, and again marked by Visma, who seem to want to calm this down as quickly as possible and ensure the break that’s already up the road is the one for the day.

Jonathan Milan pauses at the roadside for a moment to greet who we assume are his family. He’s from around here and on local roads, waving to many more he passes.

The gap is still hovering at about one minute, but the peloton are bunching up again.

Consequently, the gap is really growing out now, to 1:40. This might be it!

170KM TO GO

This does indeed look like we have our break of the day! 2:20 is the gap between the leaders and the peloton, which is still bunched up. The chasers should join them, too, though still have a minute to make up.

Or is it done yet? EF have just upped the pace and strung the bunch out again, but have they left it too late?

Unlike on previous stages, where riders managed to use a change in terrain to up pace and join a break that had already gone out, today doesn’t really provide the same opportunity as the parcours remains flat for so long.

The five riders at the front of the race.

EF’s efforts at the front of the peloton were short-lived, and Visma have taken over the pace-setting. But they’re not exactly hanging about, and are setting a fairly quick tempo.

160KM TO GO

Visma are still leading the peloton, but the gap is growing, to 3:18.

At some point Livyns dropped out of the chcase group, so it’s just Tarozzi and Warbasse.

A man down, this is a tough chase for Warbasse and Tarozzi. And, frustratingly for them, they’re not really making any inroads, still just over a minute behind.

Warbasse and Tarozzi will be especially motivated to bridge the gap, as they’re representing two of the fifteen teams still without a stage win. Of the other thirteen, only two are represented in the front group – Groupama and Alpecin.

150KM TO GO

The gap between the peloton and the leaders has grown to 4:25, and the chasers are getting a little closer, now at 50 seconds.

We’re also bringing you live coverage of the Unbound Gravel 200 today, which you can follow along with here.

Unbound Gravel 200 LIVE: A stacked line-up and an increased prize pot at the US’ premier gravel race

This break is neither as big nor as full of quality pure climbers as those from previous stages, and it’s therefore going to be hard for them to win this stage unless they manage to open a very big gap up before the climbs.

140KM TO GO

The break are at least giving themselves a chance with the size of this gap. It’s now grown to 5:18.

Warbasse and Tarozzi are still in a tough situation, and are back to a minute behind. They’re having to do a lot more work than the five riders up the road, too, having to share the workload between just the two of them.

There’s a short but steep ramp coming up, which might provide the chasing duo a chance to make up some of that gap and bring the leaders to catchable distance.

Warbasse and Tarozzi have indeed done a great job on that ramp, and are now only 20 seconds behind.

It looks like the break have slowed to let them join, too.

Tarozzi and Warbasse have done it. Chapeau! That was a massive effort to get into the front group.

130KM TO GO

Their presence should give a boost to the break’s hopes of survival. Right now their lead is 5:15.

The riders are climbing another unclassified ramp, at the top of which is an intermediate sprint. Nobody in the break has any interest in the Maglia Cicalomano though,which is set to be won by Paul Magnier.

INTERMEDIATE SPRINT

Nevertheless, there’s a proper sprint for it, with Silva taking it ahead of Leknessund and Tarozzi.

Silva and Leknessund might be too far adrift to win the classification, but they are third and fourth respectively, and solidify their positions by taking some points.

1 Magnier 195

2 Milan 103

3 Silva 94

4 Leknessund 87

5 Stuyven 75

As for Tarozzi, he was sprinting as he leads the Intermediate Sprint classification, as a result of being in so many breaks at this Giro. He deserves some praise for his tireless efforts throughout the race.

120KM TO GO

The gap is still at about five minutes as they approach the foot of the first official climb of the day.

Enjoying our live Giro d’Italia race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.

The riders are on the climb, and Visma is leading the peloton with that man again, Tim Rex. He’s upped the pace, and brought the gap down to 4:10.

One goal Visma-Lease a Bike has for today is not just defending Vingegaard’s Maglia Rosa, but also claiming the white jersey for Davide Piganzoli from Afonso Eulálio. He needs to gain 1:03 to do so.

‘Saturday is the last day to go for the white jersey’ – Davide Piganzoli hopes to complete Visma-Lease a Bike’s Giro d’Italia domination on final mountain stage

Rex is keeping this gap steady on the climb, with it remaining at about four minutes.

KOM – CLAUZETTO

Leknessund rolls over top of the climb to take the KOM points. Unlike at the intermediate sprint, this time there is no sprint for them.

110KM TO GO

The gap came down a little more before the top of the climb, but not by much. The leaders are descending with an advantage of 3:50.

With the first climb over and done with, there are just two left of this Giro, and 90 points left to be won in the KOM classification. Ciccone is inching ever close to sealing victory in it.

1 Ciccone 273

2 Vingegaard 216

3 Rubio 164

4 Van der Lee 108

5 Gall 100

There’s been a crash in the peloton on ths technical descent Dversnes was down but back on his feet.

100KM TO GO

At the halfway point of the stage, the gap beween the seven leaders and the peloton is 4:40.

Of the seven riders up the road, Leknessund has shown the most skill in competing for stage wins from breakaways. He’s already finished second on three occasions at this Giro, behind Narváez, Bettiol and Valgren, but on punchier terrain compared with today’s mountain test. Though a decent climber, the Piancavallo might be too hard for him.

90KM TO GO

4:30 is the gap now between the break and the peloton.

Of the riders in the break, one already has a stage win to his name from this Giro – Silva, who has been one of the revelations of the race. That was won in a reduced bunch sprint however, and though he has been active in getting into the breakaways he’s more of a sprinter than a climber, and is also likely to find the final mountain beyond his capabilities.

Jonas Vingegaard, wrapped in a comfort blanket of his Visma-Lease a Bike teammates in the peloton.

80KM TO GO

The break are giving themselves a chance. They’re on a long valley road the kind of which it’s hard to maintain an advantage on over a big peloton, but so far they’re keeping their lead at around 4:30.

The best climber on paper in the breakaway group is probably Jack Haig. The Australian has great pedigree in the mountains, having made the podium of the Vuelta five years ago, and though it’s been a long time since he’s shown that kind of form, he’s still done some good work as a domestique for Thymen Arensman at this Giro. With the Dutchman wanting to leap back onto the podium today, he could play a key role as a satellite rider.

Alpecin are one of the teams desperate to win a stage at the Giro, but it’s going to be hard for their man in the break, Jonas Geens, to deliver one. He’s been in a few breaks already this Giro, but has tended to struggle and fade towards the end of the stages.

Groupama-FDJ have been one of the most animated teams in the search of an elusive stage win, and this time Axel Huens is their man in the break. Given the terrain, they would surely have preferred to have Josh Kench in his place.

70KM TO GO

The breakaway riders are still holding their lead at about 4:20, but you sense they’d need more to have a real chance of surviving for the stage win before the double ascent.

Warbasse and Tarozzi put a lot of work to get into this break in the first place, while the latter has used up lots of energy throughout these three weeks with his constant attacking. It’ll be an especially big ask for them to get up these climbs.

The breakaway have begun the Piancavallo for the first time, their lead at 4:33. They’ll be climbing for 14.5km at 7.8%.

The peloton have started the climb, and there’s been an attack by Van der Lee.

Van der Lee has been competing for the KOM points, and is ranked 4th in the classification. Victory is mathematically beyond him, but is he after more points?

Van der Lee has thought better of it. Nobody went with him, and he’s sat up.

Kielich is done pacing for Visma, and Rex takes over again.

Eulálio has drifted towards the back of the peloton, but then again did the same thing yesterday and was only dropped towards the top of the climb, so no need to panic.

Harper has been dropped, surprising given the form he’s shown during this final week.

Rex is going hard, and the gap is coming down a lot. They’ve already been brought back to within 3:30.

After one final effort Rex almost comes to a standstill, and Campanaerts takes over.

After his effort from earlier, Van der Lee is now going out the back of the peloton.

Tarozzi is only just about hanging on at the back of the breakaway. He’s pulling lots of panined faces.

Silva is also struggling at the back. This is not his terrain.

Silva and Tarozzi have now both been dropped.

2:30 is the gap now. At this rate the peloton might even catch them before the top of this first ascent.

Ben O’Connor is on another bad day. He’s been dropped already.

Haig is doing the pace-setting in the break, but going much slower than Campanaerts in the peloton.

Another strong climber is struggling in the peloton – Caruso, who’s right at the back. There are a lot of tired legs in this peloton.

Eulálio is now the last man in the peloton. He might really be struggling this time.

Mechanical for Vingegaard! He’s had to stop to sort it himself.

He sorted it quickly, and has made his way back up to the front of the peloton. That was a very rare moment of seeing the Dane at the back of the peloton on a climb.

O’Connor has made his way back into the peloton, for now.

60KM TO GO

The leaders have two minutes on the peloton, with a whole 7km still to climb before getting to the summit.

Haig has upped the pace, and only Leknessund and Warbasse can stay with him.

The gap is no longer coming down. It’s held steady at about two minutes ever since Vingegaard’s mechanical.

With the riders in the break set to take the KOM points, Ciccone is about to mathematically seal the blue jersey.

Looking back to Vingegaard’s ‘mechanical’, it seems he was worried that something had happened to his front tyre. But after checking it for a few moments he was satisfied and continued riding without changing bikes.

Tarozzi and Silva have both been brought back by the peloton.

The gap’s been coming down again to 1:35, but that should be enough for the leaders to survive to the top of the climb.

Ciccone is moving up the peloton. He might want to make absolutely sure of the jersey by sticking to the front and keeping an eye on Vingegaard, the only man who can challenge him for the blue jersey.

Ciccone has come up to Vingegaard’s wheel, and exchanged a few words with Vingegaard.

Haig, Leknessund and Warbasse are 1km from the summit, and lead by 1:20.

KOM – PIANCAVALLO

Haig leads the break over the summit, from Warbasse and Leknessund.

Ciccone and Vingegaard are still chatting in the bunch, but whatever they’re talking about is irrelevant to the outcome of the blue jersey, as other riders dropped from the break are about to hoover the rest of the points.

Ciccone sprints out of the bunch regardless to claim four points by being 6th at the summit. He now holds a mathematical lead in the classification!

There’s movement in the peloton, as Arrieta and Cresciolli attack over the summit.

50KM TO GO

The break lead the peloton just over a minute, as they embark on the descent.

Enjoying our live Giro d’Italia race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.

All Ciccone has to do now to seal the blue jersey is make sure he finishes the race. If he does, he’ll become the first rider since Stefano Garzelli in 2011 to become a multiple winner of the Mountains Classification at the Giro.

1 Ciccone 277

2 Vingegaard 216

3 Rubio 164

4 Van der Lee 108

5 Gall 100

Over in Cesenatico on the Adriatic coast, the women’s Giro is about to get underway. We have all the action on our Live feed.

Giro d’Italia Women stage 1 LIVE: Can anyone stop the sprinters from taking the race’s first maglia rosa?

40KM TO GO

1:25 is the gap as they continue the descent. That’s not anything like enough ahead of the second ascent of Piancavallo.

Back to Ciccone – this will be the third Grand Tour mountains classification title of his career, remembering his polka-dot jersey from the 2023 Tour de France. That makes him the only man (aside from, you guessed it, Tadej Pogačar) to win that many since Richard Virenque retired in 2004.

Arrieta and Cresciolli have been really flying down this descent. They’ve bridged up to Huens, and are only a few seconds away from Haig, Leknessund and Warbasse at the front of the race.

Cresciolli, Arrieta and Huens have joined the three leaders.

Soon the final jostling for the final GC placings will begin. Jai Hindley is one of the riders with most to lose, with the spot he earned on the podium yesterday set to come under great pressure, especially from Thymen Arensman. He may need more help from Red Bull teammate Giulio Pellizzari, who did such sterling work for him yesterday.

‘I don’t take for granted what he did’ – Jai Hindley thanks Giulio Pellizzari for helping him climb onto Giro d’Italia GC podium

Derek Gee-West is one of the riders who will have his eye on Hindley’s podium spot. He’ll have to find 1:27 on him if he’s to do so.

‘I had to go with it’ – Derek Gee-West moves closer to Giro d’Italia podium in ‘super hard’ queen stage to Alleghe

This was Jonas Vingegaard’s mechanical incident on the last climb. It’s about the most stress he’s been in all this final week, which has gone swimmingly for him.

30KM TO GO

The gap’s holding steady at 1:30, as they circle back to the foot of the Piancavallo once again.

The break on the first ascent of Piancavallo. They’ll have to do it all over again shortly.

There’s a subdued sprint for the Red Bull KM, just about won by Arrieta from Warbasse and Cresciolli.

20KM TO GO

With just over 5km to ride until the start of the climb, the break has increased their lead, to 2:10.

Arrieta and Cresciolli will be fresher having only gotten up the road on the descent, but are they good enough climbers to stand a chance of surviving?

The Felix Gall fan club are on the climb, hoping he can secure his spot on the podium – and possibly even challenge Jonas Vingegaard for the stage win?

The leaders swing onto the climb again, with a slender lead of just 2:05.

Vingegaard has a train of four teammates leading him onto the foot of this climb, Campanaerts at the front of it.

Visma are not only seeking to defend pink and win the stage, but also try to drop Afonso Eulálio to help win the white jersey with Davide Piganzoli.

Pellizzari is right at the back of the peloton already. That’s not good news for his teammate Hindley.

Huens is dropped from the front group.

Attack from Warbasse.

Arrieta, Leknessund and Cresciolli have followed Warbasse’s move.

Ciccone has been dropped from the peloton, mission already accomplished of sealing the blue jersey.

Arrieta and Cresciolli accelerate, and have dropped Leknessund and Warbasse.

Leknessund and Warbasse have dragged themselves back up to the two leaders.

Pellizzari has now been dropped from the peloton.

Lemmen is leading the peloton, Campanaerts having finished his turn.

Cresciolli has attacked from the front group, and this time nobody has followed him.

At the front of the peloton it’s Leemen, followed by Kuss, Piganzoli, Vingegaard, Mühlberger, Gall then Hindley. Behind, all of the rest of the GC top ten are all also still present.

Kuss is dropped – he must be tired from yesterday’s stage win.

The peloton’s thinning out now, with only about 15 riders left in it.

Piganzoli is also dropped! He’s gone before Eulálio, the man he was hoping to take the white jersey from.

VINGEGAARD ATTACKS

The pink jersey makes his move! Gall is on his wheel.

Gall hasn’t lasted long, now dropped from Vingeagaard, who’s caught Arrieta and only has Leknessund and Cresciolli ahead of him.

10KM TO GO

Leknessund and Cresciolli lead the race for now, but Vingegaard’s only a few seconds behind. Gall is chasing Vingegaard alone, the other GC men dropped.

Vingegaard catches Leknessund and Cresciolli.

There’s a small chase group behind Gall, with podium contenders Hindley, Arensman and Gee-West all in it.

Bernal is leading that chase group, hoping to set up his Netcompany teammate Arensman for an assault on the podium.

Arensman is struggling to hold Bernal’s wheel.

The only riders left with the Netcompany duo are Hindley, Gee-West and Eulálio. Storer has just been dropped.

Gee-West has moved to the front and upped the pace, and only Hindley can follow.

Gee-West must have sensed Arensman’s weakness, and is after his fourth-place on GC.

Gee-West needs 58 seconds to overtake Arensman for fourth-place.

Up ahead, Vingegaard is all alone and 20 seconds ahead of Gall.

Piganzoli hasn’t given up hope on the white jersey yet, and is trying to make his way up to Eulálio, who is with Arensman and Bernal.

Eulálio has been dropped by Bernal and Arensman.

Gee-West is doing all the work with Hindley glued to his wheel.

Piganzoli has been picking up riders. He has Caruso and Storer on his wheel as he tries to catch back up to Eulálio.

With 7km left to climb, Vingegaard is 40 seconds ahead of Gall, and 53 seconds ahead of Hindley and Gee-West.

Piganzoli has dragged his group up to Eulálio, and is setting a high pace to try and drop him.

Piganzoli not only needs to drop Eulálio to gain the white jersey from him, but gain 1:03.

There are no changes to the placings in the top ten yet. Arensman might have been dropped by Gee-West, but Bernal’s help is keeping the time lost to under 30 seconds.

5KM TO GO

Vingegaard leads Gall by 1 minute, and Hindley/Gee West by 1:08.

Gee-West and Hindley have caught Gall.

Bernal is doing a stellar turn for Arensman up this climb, to defend his fourth place. It’s like the 2018 Tour de France all over again, when he performed a similar role for Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome.

Hindley is now working with Gee-West and Gall.

Arensman just dropped his chain, but averted disaster.

Bernal and Arensman can see the Gee-West group ahead of them. It look like they’re going to join them.

2km to go for Vingegaard, who leads by a huge 1:30.

Bernal and Arensman have caught Hindley, Gee-West and Gall.

Piganzoli tries an attack from the Eulálio group, but can’t go clear.

Bernal has resumed his role of pace-setting, and as Arensman and the other three riders on his wheel.

Eulálio has attacked Piganzoli and has a small gap!

1KM TO GO

Vingegaard is into the final kilometre, about to claim his fifth stage win of the race.

VINGEGAARD WINS

He’s done it again – and all but wrapped up the pink jersey in the process!

Bernal is leading the chase group to the finish.

Gall takes second in the sprint behind, with Hindley third – the same order as the final podium is set to be.

Gee-West takes fourth in that sprint ahead of Arensman, but hasn’t done enough to take that spot from him on the GC.

Eulálio finishes ahead of the Piganzoli group to all but seal 6th overall, plus the white jersey.

Vingegaard reveals at the post-stage interview that he had to ‘improvise’ his ride after Kuss was dropped earlier than expected.

‘The plan was to go later on the climb, but we had to change the pans a bit, and I had to go a bit earlier’. It didn’t make any difference to the outcome, with the Dane winning in just as dominant a fashion as previously.

This Giro has gone about as perfectly for Vingegaard as could have been hoped for. Not only did he win the GC comfortably, he also picked up five stages – and all without ever seeming to be under much pressure or stress. Given that his plan is still to ride the Tour de France for GC, and take on Tadej Pogačar, that latter factor might be the most important of all.

Congrats to Felix Gall, who has all but sealed second place overall. His exploits have been a little overshadowed by the brilliance of Jona Vingegaard this race, but he’s consistently brilliant, comfortably the best climber behind the Dane. In fact, today was the fifth time he has placed second at a stage at this race, each time behind Vingegaard.

This performance marks another leap in his career following his fifth place at last year’s Tour de France, and he must now be considered one of the very best climbers and GC riders in the world.

Jai Hindley is set to complete the podium, the third time he will have done so at the Giro d’Italia. After a couple of difficult years, the Australian looks back to his very best, and deliverers a vital result for what has been an up and down race for the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team.

Maybe the performer of the day was Afonso Eulálio, who, despite being expected to be one of the riders most at risk of losing ground, actually gained on his rivals, and successfully sealed both the white jersey, and 6th on GC.

That vastly exceeds whatever his expectations would have been going into the race, and was a star-making turn from the young rider. It’ll be interesting to see if he targets GC in stage races in the future, now he’s proven he can climb far better than initially imagined.

Thanks for joining us today, on another imperious day for Jonas Vingegaard, who has all but sealed the Maglia Rosa in the dominant fashion he has raced off of this Giro in.

The GC race may be over, but there’s still another stage to be won, and plenty of sprinters desperate for a win after Paul Magnier has hogged all of them to himself up until now. We’ll be back with live coverage again tomorrow, while be sure to also follow along to the remainder of the opening stage of the women’s Giro d’Italia.