After an action-packed opening day, Il Giro d’Abruzzo 2026 faces another demanding test on Stage 2. The Popoli Terme–Caramanico Terme (143 km) starts uphill and finishes uphill, a clear sign that there will be very little flat terrain on offer today. It may only be the second stage, but anyone targeting the final Maglia BiancoVerdeBlu powered by Regione Abruzzo will need to be ready for another big battle.
Just 34 km after the start comes the Forcella di Acciano, 4.7 km at an average gradient of 9.4%. It may not be a long climb, but it is preceded by relentless rolling terrain that offers little chance to recover. A long descent back towards Popoli Terme and the passage through Piano d’Orta set the stage for a very demanding second half of the race: the riders climb towards Pescosansonesco, tackle the intermediate sprint in Nocciano and then head uphill again towards Scagnano, before the finish in Caramanico Terme.
MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort will need to take control of the race if they are to keep Alessandro Fancellu in the overall leader’s jersey. His rivals, however, will be looking for revenge after yesterday’s stage, particularly Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos), whose performance was affected by a crash on the opening day.
Frenchman Mathys Rondel (Tudor Pro Cycling) will also be chasing victory: his team worked hard throughout Stage 1, only for Rondel to settle for second place behind Fancellu. Nicolò Garibbo (Team UKYO) and Ludovico Crescioli (Team Polti VisitMalta) are two more riders to watch.
Start: 11:40 a.m.
KM 0: 11:45 a.m.
LIVE opens at: 10:30 a.m.
Finish: around 3:15 p.m.
TV: In Italy, the race will be broadcast on RAI channels and streamed on RaiPlay from 1:35 p.m. It will also be available on HBO Max and Discovery+, as well as on Eurosport channels.
