The 2026 Tour of the Alps route has been unveiled. The race, which next year will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the memorandum of understanding between Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Trentino that led to the then Giro del Trentino's name change, will take place from April 20 to 24 with five short stages, but with a very varied elevation gain. Starting in Innsbruck and finishing in Bolzano , it covers a total of 760 kilometers and 14,620 meters of elevation gain.

The big new feature for 2026 will be the “Sprint Bonus,” an intermediate finish line located at the end of each stage that will award 6″, 4″, and 2″ time bonuses to the first three riders to cross it.  

The first stage, starting and finishing in Innsbruck and covering a total of 141.8 kilometers, will not be too demanding.   After an initial flat section along the Inn Valley, the riders will enter a first 24-kilometer circuit, featuring the gentle climb of the Mieminger Plateau, which must be completed twice. At the end of the second lap, the riders will return to Innsbruck, joining another approximately 18-kilometer loop, which must be completed twice. This circuit will include the Götzens climb (4 km at 7%), as well as a short uphill segment towards Axams, where the sprint with time bonuses will be held during the second lap; from there, it will be about 20 kilometers to the finish.  

The second stage will run from Telfs to Martell/Val Martello, covering a total of 147.5 kilometers. After the first twenty kilometers of flat terrain, the road will climb towards the Piller Höhe categorized climb (9.2 km at 6%). After the subsequent descent, there will be approximately 25 kilometers of seemingly flat terrain leading to the foot of the Resia Pass (15.8 km at 3.4%), where the peloton will enter Italy.  

After the categorized climb, the route will remain at high altitude for a few kilometers, with the next forty kilometers not particularly challenging. Next comes the final climb to Martell/Val Martello , 6,000 meters with an average gradient of 8%, where the first differences between the GC riders will be visible. The climb will end about 500 meters from the finish, with a final sprint to the finish.

The third stage will also be the longest of the 2026 Tour of the Alps, at 174.5 kilometers, starting in Latsch/Laces and finishing in Arco . Apart from the initial stretch, the route will be a series of continuous ups and downs. First comes the long climb of Passo Castrin (22.2 km at 5.7%) and, after the summit, the route will plunge down towards Cles and Val di Non, ending with the climb to Andalo (14.4 km at 5.4%). After the descent to Ponte Arche, there are still 40 kilometers to go to the finish in Arco , with the ascent of Passo Ballino and, within a short loop, the subsequent climb to Tenno (at the top of which there will be a sprint with time bonuses), which will be reached with 16 kilometers to go and could serve as a springboard for a decisive attack.

The fourth stage, 167.8 kilometers from Arco to Trento , will also be very challenging, with 3,600 meters of elevation gain. Shortly after the start, the first categorized climb of the day will be tackled, the Bordala Pass (14.8 km at 6.9%), after which a fast descent will lead into the Adige Valley, from which the road climbs towards Vigolo Vattaro. A short, winding descent will then lead into Valsugana and the foot of the Redebus Pass (12.9 km at 6.8%), whose descent leads to a 37-kilometer circuit that concludes at the start of the Brusago climb, with the initial three kilometers also in double digits. Once the loop is completed, the riders will head for the finish line, for a highly technical finale featuring a couple of steep climbs, including the one in Povo: from there, it will be just under ten kilometers to the finish.

The final stage will also be the shortest of the race, at 128.6 kilometers from Trento to Bolzano.   After just 5,000 meters from the start, the road will climb towards Palù di Giovo, before returning to the valley floor for about thirty flat kilometers.

After Caldaro, we will start climbing again with the climb towards   San Nicolò, better known as the Alta di Caldaro (4.4 km at 6.6%), is followed by a fast descent and another flat section that will lead to the first pass over the finish line in Bolzano, 50 kilometers from the finish. Shortly after, the route enters a 19-kilometer circuit to be repeated twice, with the Montoppio categorized climb (9.2 km at 6.2%), tackled for the second time about fifteen kilometers from the finish.

2026 Tour of the Alps Stage Summary

Stage 1 (20/04): Innsbruck – Innsbruck (141.8 km)
Stage 2 (21/04): Telfs – Martell/Val Martello (147.5 km)
Stage 3 (22/04): Latsch/Laces – Arco (174.5 km)
Stage 4 (23/04): Arco – Trento (167.8 km)
Stage 5 (24/04): Trento – Bozen/Bolzano (128.6 km)