The 2026 Giro d’Italia hasn’t turned a pedal yet. Already, the general classification looks nothing like it did a week ago. Three major withdrawals in the space of days have handed Jonas Vingegaard a gift he didn’t need — a race that was already his to lose has become, on paper at least, a coronation waiting to happen.
The Withdrawals — A GC Field in Freefall
Monday, April 27 delivered a double blow. João Almeida — who had been central to UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Giro ambitions — confirmed his withdrawal after illness derailed his preparation beyond recovery. On the same day, Mikel Landa, a two-time Giro podium finisher, announced he would not start after examinations revealed a small pelvic fracture sustained when the medical car struck him on Stage 2 of Itzulia Basque Country.
“I had been experiencing some discomfort, but the type of fracture made it difficult to fully identify at first. Now that we have clarity, I can focus fully on my recovery. It’s a shame to miss the Giro d’Italia, especially as I was motivated to return after last year.”
— Mikel Landa, Soudal Quick-Step
The third casualty arrived this week. Richard Carapaz — 2019 winner, 2025 podium finisher, and arguably the most tactically unpredictable GC rider in the modern peloton — confirmed he will not start after surgery to remove a perineal cyst. His team, EF Education-EasyPost, pivoted immediately to the Tour de France.
“For me, it’s a complete disappointment, because the Giro is a race that I’ve always had a lot of affection for and looked forward to. I always want to prepare for it in the best way. Every time I go to the Giro, it is a very special moment. Finding myself in this situation is frustrating because you put a lot of desire and time into it, but in the end I have to prioritize my health now.”
— Richard Carapaz, EF Education-EasyPost
The combined effect is stark. None of the top-three GC finishers from the 2025 Giro will be on the start line in Nessebar.
Vingegaard — Building Towards History
Jonas Vingegaard arrives at his Giro debut on the back of the most dominant spring campaign in recent memory. The 29-year-old Dane won both Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya — the latter for the first time competing in the race — with stage victories in the Pyrenees underlining that his climbing form is already at Grand Tour level. A Giro-Tour de France double would complete his Grand Tour trilogy ahead of Tadej Pogačar, who has yet to win the Vuelta a España.
“Jonas has specifically targeted the Giro this year. His preparation has been meticulous. The spring campaign was about building form and confidence, and he is exactly where we want him to be heading into May.”
— Merijn Zeeman, Visma-Lease a Bike Sporting Director
Bernal and INEOS — A Dual Leadership Play
The most compelling sub-plot heading into Nessebar is Egan Bernal’s form. A knee injury restricted his winter and forced him to skip racing until the Ardèche Classic in February — but his return at the Tour of the Alps told a different story. He finished second overall, 40 seconds behind winner Giulio Pellizzari, and the trajectory was unmistakably upward. Fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège added further evidence of a rider returning to his best.
INEOS Grenadiers will deploy the dual-leadership model again, pairing Bernal with Thymen Arensman, who took third at the Tour of the Alps. The combination worked seamlessly in the Tyrol and gives INEOS genuine tactical flexibility across three weeks.
“We kept the belief always with Thymen and Egan in the team. Of course, we know that our competitors are super strong — Vingegaard in particular — but we are keeping doing our stuff, and we’ll try to arrive in the best shape possible in Bulgaria.”
— Ivan Basso, INEOS Grenadiers DS
The Rest of the Field
With Almeida out, UAE Team Emirates-XRG turn to Adam Yates as their GC standard-bearer. Pellizzari — commanding winner of the Tour of the Alps and sixth overall at both the 2025 Giro and Vuelta — arrives as Italy’s great hope and a genuine podium candidate at 22. Derek Gee rounds out the group of legitimate contenders, with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe also holding Jai Hindley in reserve as a dark horse.
What to Expect in Bulgaria
The 109th Giro opens on Friday, May 8 in Nessebar — on the edge of the Black Sea — with Stage 1 finishing in Burgas. Stages 2 and 3 conclude in Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia respectively before a UCI-approved additional rest day on May 11 facilitates the caravan transfer to Catanzaro in southern Italy. The Bulgarian federation expects more than 200,000 spectators across three stages — the 16th time the race has started outside Italy.
The big mountain stages await further north. By then, the most open-yet-narrow GC battle in years will be taking shape — Vingegaard hunted, Bernal resurgent, Pellizzari emboldened. The race begins Friday.
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