The Giro d’Italia Women 2026 reaches its queen stage on Saturday, 6th June, with 105km from Rivoli to Sestriere and the race’s biggest climbing test. After the hilly stage to Salice Terme, the peloton now faces the Colle delle Finestre, the Cima Alfonsina Strada of this year’s Giro, before the road continues towards the high-altitude finish at Sestriere.
Stage 8 is scheduled to start at 14:00 local time, which is 13:00 BST for UK viewers. The expected finish is between 17:14 and 17:45 local time, or 16:14 and 16:45 BST, depending on how the race is ridden over the Finestre and the final approach to Sestriere.
UK viewers can watch the stage live through TNT Sports and HBO Max. For a full tactical breakdown of the route, our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 preview explains why the Colle delle Finestre should be the defining climb of the race. Our GC and jerseys after Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 7 also sets up the classification picture before the queen stage.
Photo Credit: GettyWhat time does Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 start?
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 is scheduled to start at 13:00 BST on Saturday, 6th June.
The riders will cover 105km from Rivoli to Sestriere, with around 2,800 metres of climbing. The stage is short compared with several earlier days, but the distance is deceptive. The Colle delle Finestre and the continued climb towards Sestriere make this the most important mountain stage of the race.
The key stage 8 details for UK viewers are:
- Date: Saturday, 6th June
- Stage: stage 8
- Route: Rivoli to Sestriere
- Distance: 105km
- Elevation gain: around 2,800 metres
- Stage type: high mountain stage
- Scheduled start: 13:00 BST
- Expected finish: around 16:14-16:45 BST
- UK live coverage: TNT Sports and HBO Max
This is not a stage where viewers only need the final kilometre. The decisive racing should begin on the Colle delle Finestre, where the gradient, altitude and gravel section can split the GC group long before Sestriere.
How can UK viewers watch Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8?
UK viewers can watch Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 live through TNT Sports and HBO Max.
TNT Sports is the linear TV option for subscribers, while HBO Max is the main streaming route for those watching on a laptop, mobile, tablet or smart TV.
Full broadcast information is available in our guide on how to watch the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 in the UK.
This is the stage to prioritise if you are only able to watch one mountain day. The Colle delle Finestre is the hardest and most iconic climb of the race, and the summit finish at Sestriere means the GC fight can continue deep into the final kilometres.
Why stage 8 is worth watching live
Stage 8 is worth watching live because it is the clearest remaining opportunity for the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 to be won or lost. Anna van der Breggen starts the day in the maglia rosa, but Demi Vollering is still close enough to attack the race, while Antonia Niedermaier, Isabella Holmgren, Marlen Reusser and Elisa Longo Borghini all have major positions to defend or improve.
The stage is built around the Colle delle Finestre. Its paved lower slopes are hard enough, but the gravel section towards the top adds another layer of difficulty. Rhythm becomes harder to hold, traction matters, and riders who are already on the limit can lose contact quickly.
The race does not end at the summit either. After the Finestre, the route continues towards Sestriere. That means any rider dropped on the hardest section may keep losing time all the way to the finish.
What is the route for stage 8?
Stage 8 starts in Rivoli and heads towards Sestriere over 105km. The opening part of the route gives teams time to place riders, control the early breakaway and prepare for the key climbing sequence.
The main difficulty arrives on the Colle delle Finestre. It is long, steep and partly unpaved, with the summit sitting above 2,100 metres. The climb is the Cima Alfonsina Strada of this Giro, awarded to the highest point of the race.
Once the riders crest the Finestre, the stage remains demanding. The road towards Sestriere continues at altitude, with enough climbing left to stretch gaps created on the main climb. A rider who goes over the top alone or in a small group will still need to keep working. A rider who cracks before the summit could lose minutes.
What is the GC situation before stage 8?
Anna van der Breggen leads the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 before stage 8, with Demi Vollering second at 1:00 and Antonia Niedermaier third at 1:24. Isabella Holmgren remains fourth overall and leads the young rider classification, while Marlen Reusser and Elisa Longo Borghini sit just behind in fifth and sixth.
The top 10 before stage 8 is still close enough for the Finestre to cause major movement. Longo Borghini took five seconds back on stage 7, but the queen stage offers a much bigger opportunity. This is where minutes can be gained or lost.
The key GC standings before stage 8 are:
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 23:40:36
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, +1:00
- Antonia Niedermaier, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, +1:24
- Isabella Holmgren, Lidl-Trek, +2:01
- Marlen Reusser, Movistar Team, +2:03
- Elisa Longo Borghini, UAE Team ADQ, +2:07
- Niamh Fisher-Black, Lidl-Trek, +2:33
- Femke de Vries, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +2:38
- Monica Trinca Colonel, Liv AlUla Jayco, +3:21
- Urška Žigart, AG Insurance-Soudal, +3:26
Van der Breggen has a useful cushion, but not an unbreakable one. Vollering does not need the race to collapse completely. She needs sustained pressure, gaps on the Finestre and no regrouping before Sestriere.
What does stage 8 mean for Anna van der Breggen?
For Van der Breggen, stage 8 is about control. She does not need to win the stage, but she needs to prevent Vollering and the other climbers from turning the Finestre into a race-changing attack.
Team SD Worx-Protime will want to keep the stage stable for as long as possible, avoid burning through support too early and make sure Van der Breggen reaches the decisive part of the climb in position. If she can follow the main moves and limit any accelerations, she will move very close to overall victory.
The danger is isolation. The Finestre is steep enough and irregular enough to reduce team support quickly. If Van der Breggen is left alone early, Vollering, Niedermaier, Holmgren or Longo Borghini may try to use repeated attacks rather than one single move.
Can Demi Vollering still take the maglia rosa?
Demi Vollering can still take the maglia rosa, but she needs to make stage 8 hard. A late acceleration near Sestriere may not be enough to overturn a 1:00 deficit. Her best chance is to force pressure on the Finestre and make Van der Breggen respond before the final climb.
That means FDJ United-Suez have to be proactive. They need to help make the lower slopes hard, keep the pace high through the gravel and stop the front group from settling into a comfortable rhythm. If Vollering can create separation before the summit, the road towards Sestriere gives her time to extend it.
Vollering has already won a mountain stage at this Giro, but stage 8 is about more than a stage win. It is her clearest remaining chance to change the whole race.
Who else should viewers watch?
Antonia Niedermaier is one of the most important riders to watch. She sits third overall and has climbed strongly throughout the race. If Van der Breggen and Vollering focus too much on each other, Niedermaier could become a serious threat.
Isabella Holmgren is another major storyline. She leads the young rider classification and sits fourth overall, but the Finestre is her biggest test yet. Her off-road background and technical confidence could help on the gravel, but the altitude and accumulated fatigue will make this a very different kind of challenge.
Elisa Longo Borghini will be difficult to ignore. She gained time with a late move on stage 7 and has the experience, descending confidence and toughness to attack if the race becomes messy. Marlen Reusser may need to ride more defensively, using her engine to limit losses if the pure climbers begin accelerating.
Niamh Fisher-Black also gives Lidl-Trek another option. With Holmgren high on GC and Balsamo secure in the points classification, Lidl-Trek have several ways to influence the race.
Could the breakaway win?
A breakaway win is possible, but it will be difficult. The stage is short, the GC stakes are high and the Colle delle Finestre is likely to bring the favourites into the race properly.
The breakaway’s best chance is to include strong climbers who are far enough down on GC to be allowed space. If the front group reaches the Finestre with a large enough advantage, one rider may be able to survive ahead of the GC favourites.
The problem is the severity of the final part of the stage. Once the GC riders attack, the time gap can fall quickly. A breakaway rider will need a major head start and a very strong climbing performance to stay clear to Sestriere.
A stage win from the GC group looks the more likely outcome, but the right breakaway composition could still make things interesting.
When should you tune in?
The stage starts at 13:00 BST, but the decisive action should come later in the afternoon. The key viewing window is likely to be from around 15:00 BST onwards, when the race should be approaching or already on the Colle delle Finestre.
That is the section where the Giro can change. The gravel, the gradient and the altitude should strip the race down to the strongest climbers. The final approach to Sestriere then gives the front of the race time to stretch any gaps.
The expected finish is between 16:14 and 16:45 BST. For UK viewers, the safest option is to have the stream on by the time the race reaches the base of the Finestre rather than waiting for the last few kilometres.
What comes next after stage 8?
Stage 9 around Saluzzo gives the Giro one final difficult day, but stage 8 is the obvious GC centrepiece. The Colle delle Finestre and the Sestriere finish should decide whether Van der Breggen can carry pink to the final day or whether Vollering, Niedermaier, Holmgren, Longo Borghini or another contender can force the race open.
After Sestriere, there will still be a stage left, but the biggest mountain opportunity will have passed. That makes stage 8 the most important live viewing day of the final weekend.
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 live viewing summary
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 takes place on Saturday, 6th June, with 105km from Rivoli to Sestriere. The stage is scheduled to start at 13:00 BST, with the finish expected between 16:14 and 16:45 BST.
UK viewers can watch the stage live on TNT Sports and HBO Max. The route features the Colle delle Finestre, the highest point of the race, before the road continues to the summit finish at Sestriere.
Van der Breggen starts the day in pink, Vollering needs to attack, and the rest of the GC contenders know this is the stage where defending may no longer be enough. Stage 8 is the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia Women 2026, and it should be the day that gives the final podium its clearest shape.
