At the 2026 Tirreno Adriatico the sprinters have had to wait a little longer than usual, but today they should finally get their first opportunity in Stage 3 from Cortona to Magliano de’ Marsi, which despite its considerable length of 221 kilometres does not feature any major climbing difficulties
Tirreno–Adriatico 2026, Stage 3: route, favourites and TV coverage
The Route
221 kilometres on the menu today, the longest stage of this edition of Tirreno Adriatico. The route rolls along with a series of gentle ups and downs, including the climb in Todi (KOM, 2.5 km at 5.2%) and the rise near Marmore. The finale is fast but gradually uphill over the last 15 kilometres, leading into a finishing straight that ramps up at 2–3%.
Sprinters ready to unleash power in Magliano de’ Marsi
The fast men should finally get their chance. Jonathan Milan (Lidl–Trek) starts as the big favourite, but he’ll face strong competition from Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) and Paul Magnier (Soudal–QuickStep), not forgetting Arnaud De Lie (Lotto–Dstny), Sam Welsford (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).
Among the outsiders, keep an eye on Corbin Strong (Israel–Premier Tech), Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL), Giovanni Lonardi (Polti VisitMalta), Enrico Zanoncello (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural–Seguros RGA) and Danny van Poppel (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe).
Schedule and TV Coverage
Tirreno Adriatico 2026, Stage 3: 221 km
Start: 10:25 a.m.
KM 0: 10:40 a.m.
LIVE coverage begins: 9:45 a.m.
Expected finish: around 3:40 p.m.
TV: In Italy the race is broadcast on RAI channels and streamed on RaiPlay (from 3:00 to 3:50 on Rai 2 and on RaiPlay from 1:05 to 4:05, with Stage 3 also airing on Rai Sport from 1:05 to 3:00), as well as on the platforms HBO Max and Discovery+ and on the channels of Eurosport.
