The Giro d’Italia Women 2026 moves straight from the Nevegal uphill time trial into its first major mountain road stage today, with 146km from Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore. After Anna van der Breggen took the maglia rosa on stage 4, stage 5 gives the new race leader an immediate test in the Dolomites.
The stage is scheduled to start at 12:55 local time, which is 11:55 BST for UK viewers. Live coverage is expected on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with the most important racing likely to come later in the afternoon once the peloton reaches the final circuit around Santo Stefano di Cadore.
This is the first road stage of the Giro where the GC teams should be forced to race the mountains properly. The time trial created the new hierarchy. Stage 5 will show which riders and teams can defend, attack and recover on a full Dolomite stage.
For more detail on the terrain, our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 5 preview breaks down the climbs and contenders, while the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 full route guide explains how this stage fits into the wider race.
Photo Credit: RCSWhat time does Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 5 start?
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 5 is scheduled to start at 11:55 BST on Wednesday, 3rd June.
The stage begins in Longarone and finishes in Santo Stefano di Cadore after 146km. Unlike stage 4, this is a normal road stage, so the full peloton will roll out together rather than starting individually. That should make the opening phase more tactical, with teams fighting to place riders into the breakaway before the major climbing begins.
The key stage 5 timings and details for UK viewers are:
- Date: Wednesday, 3rd June
- Stage: stage 5
- Route: Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore
- Distance: 146km
- Elevation gain: around 3,400 metres
- Stage type: mountain
- Scheduled start: 11:55 BST
- Expected finish: around 16:18-16:56 BST
- UK live coverage: TNT Sports and HBO Max
The exact finish time will depend on how aggressively the race is ridden, but the stage profile means the most important action should come deep into the afternoon. The early climbs can still shape the race, but the final circuit around Santo Stefano di Cadore is likely to decide the stage.
Photo Credit: RCSHow can UK viewers watch Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 5?
UK viewers can watch Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 5 live through TNT Sports and HBO Max.
TNT Sports is the linear TV route for subscribers watching through platforms that carry TNT Sports channels. HBO Max is the main streaming option for viewers watching on mobile, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
Full broadcast information for the race is available in our guide on how to watch the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 in the UK.
This is a stage worth checking the live schedule early for, because the mountain profile should make the final hour particularly important. If the breakaway is strong, the stage win may already be developing before the final circuit. If the GC teams keep the gap tight, the Costa climb near Santo Stefano di Cadore should become the main launchpad.
Why stage 5 is worth watching live
Stage 5 is the first major mountain road stage of the race. Stage 4 sorted the contenders individually on the Nevegal time trial, but stage 5 introduces all the complications that come with a proper climbing stage: teammates, breakaways, descents, feeding, positioning and tactical pressure.
That makes it an important test for Van der Breggen and Team SD Worx-Protime. Taking the maglia rosa on Nevegal was a statement. Defending it in the Dolomites is a different assignment. The team will need to decide whether to control the stage from distance, allow a non-threatening breakaway to go, or keep the race tight enough to protect both the jersey and the stage win.
For her rivals, this is a chance to test the new race leader immediately. Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marlen Reusser, Antonia Niedermaier, Monica Trinca Colonel, Niamh Fisher-Black, Urška Žigart and Isabella Holmgren all have reasons to make the stage difficult. Waiting until the final weekend remains an option, but stage 5 offers enough climbing to change the race now.
What is the route for stage 5?
Stage 5 runs from Longarone to Santo Stefano di Cadore over 146km, with around 3,400 metres of elevation gain. The race moves into the Dolomites, and the climbing comes in layers rather than through one single decisive ascent.
The first major tests are Passo Tre Croci and Passo Sant’Antonio. Both are hard enough to thin the bunch, remove domestiques and begin exposing riders who have not recovered from the Nevegal time trial. They also come early enough that the race may not explode immediately, but they should make the final circuit much harder.
The key tactical feature comes near Santo Stefano di Cadore, where the riders face two ascents of the Costa climb. At roughly 4km at 9%, it is steep enough to break a reduced group, especially after the earlier climbing. The first ascent can be used to weaken rivals. The second is likely to decide the stage.
What is the GC situation before stage 5?
Anna van der Breggen starts stage 5 in the maglia rosa after winning the Nevegal uphill time trial. She leads Marlen Reusser by 1:04, with Demi Vollering third at 1:10 and Antonia Niedermaier fourth at 1:26.
Monica Trinca Colonel sits fifth at 1:31, with Lauren Dickson, Femke de Vries, Elisa Longo Borghini, Urška Žigart and Isabella Holmgren also inside the top 10. That gives the race a strong GC shape before the first mountain road stage, but the gaps are still close enough to invite attacks.
The full classification picture after Nevegal is covered in our GC and jerseys after Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 4 update.
For Van der Breggen, the challenge is to defend without spending too much energy before the final weekend. For Vollering and Longo Borghini, stage 5 is a chance to put pressure on the jersey before SD Worx-Protime settle fully into control. Reusser’s position is particularly interesting because she is second overall, but this Dolomite road stage may be less naturally suited to her than the Nevegal time trial.
Who should be strong on stage 5?
Van der Breggen is now the clear reference point. She has the race lead, the form and the experience to manage a day like this, but the route gives her rivals room to test her team.
Vollering remains one of the strongest stage contenders. The repeated climbs, final circuit and tactical nature of the stage all suit a rider who can climb hard, read the race and attack when the group is already reduced. If she wants to claw back time before the final weekend, this is an obvious opportunity.
Longo Borghini is also dangerous on this kind of terrain. The stage is not just about pure climbing numbers. It requires positioning, descending, patience and the ability to keep racing after several hard climbs. Those are all areas where she can make the day more complicated for her rivals.
Niedermaier, Fisher-Black, Trinca Colonel, Žigart, Holmgren and Mavi García should also be watched closely. The Costa climb is hard enough to create real gaps, and stage 5 could reward a rider willing to move before the obvious favourites begin marking each other.
Could the breakaway win?
A breakaway has a realistic chance, but only if the GC teams allow the stage to open up. With Van der Breggen now in pink, SD Worx-Protime may not want to take full responsibility for chasing all day. That could give a strong climbing group room to build a gap before the final circuit.
The problem for the break is the difficulty of the finish. Two ascents of Costa mean any successful move needs riders who can climb properly, not just survive in the early break. A group of rouleurs is unlikely to hold off the GC favourites once the final circuit begins.
The most dangerous breakaway rider would be someone far enough down overall not to threaten the maglia rosa, but strong enough uphill to survive the final climbs. If the GC teams hesitate after the time trial, stage 5 could become a very good day for that type of rider.
What comes next after stage 5?
Stage 6 should give the race a very different feel, with the Giro heading from Ala to Brescello over 159km. After the Nevegal time trial and the Dolomite stage to Santo Stefano di Cadore, the sprinters and fast finishers should begin looking for another opportunity.
That makes stage 5 especially important for two different groups. The GC riders need to use the mountains while they are available, because the next day may calm the overall battle. The sprinters need to survive, because stage 6 could bring them back into the centre of the race.
For Van der Breggen, stage 5 is the first defence of pink. For her rivals, it is the first chance to attack the new order. The Nevegal time trial told us who had the strongest individual climbing effort. Santo Stefano di Cadore should show who can turn that into control, pressure and proper mountain racing.
