The 2026 Giro d'Italia is upon us, with 23 teams lining up to start the 109th edition of the historic contest in Bulgaria on Friday 8 May 2026, before racing across 21 stages to finish on Rome on 31 May. There is much to look forward to, but many questions might also occur to you along the way. For example, the Grand Tour has been known as La Corsa Rosa for 90 years now, because of the pink jersey worn by the race leader, but what do the other coloured tops signify?
Besides the pink (rosa) leader's jersey, the important colours to look out for are the white (bianco) young rider's jersey, the purple/cyclamen (ciclamino) points jersey and the blue (azzurra) king of the mountains jersey. Don't be looking for polka dots or green jerseys in Italy, they're features of the Tour de France.
