With the HUGE hike in prices for GCN / TNT / Discovery / CashGenerators or whatever it's called now, I've not seen much cycling so far this year so it had escaped my attention that the Giro d'Italia kicks off TOMORROW, Friday 8th May 2026, in Bulgaria
I've created the usual Velogames minileague which will remain active for ALL the Grand Tours, if you log in with the same details - usually if you do that you only have to join for the first race and for subsequent races any team you enter into the main comp is automatically entered into the mini league.
https://www.velogames.com/italy/2026/
VELOGAMES ITALY 2026 BEGINS ON FRIDAY!
Velogames Italy 2026 is open for entries! Select your team of nine riders ahead of the first Velogames Fantasy Grand Tour of the season, before the entry deadline of 12:45 CEST on Friday 8th May 2026. That is 11:45 BST in the UK, and 06:45 EST on US East Coast. Good luck to all directors!
League Owner: NBT
League Name: STW Grand Tours League 2026
League Code: 613979427
I've no real idea of who's racing and who's in good form, though pricing alone in Velogames suggests that Jonas Vingegaard is expected to waltz away with the win. I'll try to find some articles with more previews / details later today
Cheers for running the league NBT.Â
Also barely watched racing this season, just the highlights on YouTube and an occasional foray onto tiz for the monuments. Not the same as having proper highlights.Â
For this giro I think JV is going walk the GC but the battle for the podium will be good and I think the competition for individual stages will be good if Visma get Jonas a few mins ahead early on and then finish the giro in eco mode to recover for the TdF as some pundits are suggesting.
if Visma get Jonas a few mins ahead early on and then finish the giro in eco mode to recover for the TdF
that was DEFINITELY my thinking when I built a team of people who might do well without including JV. Not "BLOODY HELL I CAN'T AFFORD HIM". Not that. no, not at all.
Guide to the stages and to the key times to watch for the best action
https://veloracycling.com/features/giro-d-italia-2026-stages-to-watch
Maybe we need 2 leagues one with JV and one without 😉
no real idea what is going on, but it is early in the season. Bonus if on normal TV, thanks for the info channel 39 is DMAX I think
I'm in.Â
Domestique have a fairly detailed stage by stage guide here
https://www.domestiquecycling.com/en/features/giro-ditalia-2026-route-stage-by-stage-guide/
Here's hoping that if Jonas/Visma do suffocate the GC race, at least their likely quite defensive approach will mean we get some good breakaway stage battles. I seem to remember during PogDomination2024 ther were some cracking stages at teh start of the race.
