The bond between Lido di Camaiore and Tirreno Adriatico is unbreakable. The 2026 edition will once again start from there, for the twelfth consecutive time. Once again, the race will get underway with an individual time trial along the Tyrrhenian seafront, covering 11.5 km. The hunt for the Trident begins here.
An 11.5 km individual time trial, just as it has been since 2022, with three wins by Filippo Ganna (who will be racing again this year) and one by Juan Ayuso.
The course is completely flat and should favour the pure specialists. From a technical standpoint, there are no major difficulties either. The only turn comes in Fumetto after 5 km of racing, where the intermediate time check is located, allowing the riders to turn around and head back toward Lido di Camaiore. The first Maglia Azzurra will be decided purely on watts.
There is a clear and widely acknowledged favourite for this time trial: Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers). The powerful rider from Piedmont has already won it three times and is aiming for a fourth, fully aware that he is the best specialist on the start list.
Trying to challenge him for the Maglia Azzurra will be Ethan Hayter (Soudal–QuickStep), who won as many as five time trials last year, along with several general classification contenders such as Primož Roglič (Red Bull–Bora–hansgrohe), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious). It will also be interesting to see how Wout Van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin–Premier Tech) approach the stage, considering the gravel sector awaiting them the following day.
Tirreno Adriatico 2026, Stage 1: 11.5 km ITT
First rider start: 12:40 p.m.
Live broadcast begins: 11:45 a.m.
Last rider finish: around 3:45 p.m.
TV: In Italy the race will be broadcast on RAI channels and streamed on RaiPlay, as well as on HBO Max, Discovery+, and on Eurosport channels.
