It’s time for another cycling quiz.
The routes for the 2026 Giro d’Italia and Giro d’Italia Women were unveiled in Rome last week, with a Grande Partenza in Bulgaria for the men’s Corsa Rosa route confirmed, alongside an eye-catching 40km ITT, plus seven summit finishes. The nine-day women’s route will move to a new spot in the calendar for 2026, with an ascent of the Colle delle Finestre on the penultimate day. To mark the occasion, we thought it wise to run a little Giro history lesson!
Many greats of the sport have conquered the Italian Grand Tour and donned the iconic maglia rosa – the parcours of the Corsa Rosa always ensure that only the best rider of that year’s edition can take home the pink jersey. In recent years, that battle has gone down to the wire, with 2025 winner, Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), only moving into the race lead on the penultimate stage of the race, such were the demands of the final week.
But aside from Yates – who redeemed himself after letting the jersey slip through his fingers during the 2018 Giro – which other men’s champions of the Italian Grand Tour can you remember?