Giro d'Italia 2026 - Stage 9 Cervia-Corno alle Scale

The Giro returns to Corno alle Scale

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia, the Cervia-Corno alle Scale, brought the Corsa Rosa back to the top of the Bolognese Apennines, in the territory of the Municipality of Lizzano in Belvedere, in the Metropolitan City of Bologna. This is a historic event: the finish line at Corno alle Scale had not hosted a Giro stage since 2004, when Gilberto Simoni won. After twenty-two years, the iconic mountain of the Alto Reno Bolognese returned to be a protagonist of the 109th edition of Italy's most beloved stage race, organized by RCS Sport.

A 184 km stage that climbs all the way

Starting from Cervia, on the Romagna coast, the stage crossed the entire Emilia-Romagna region for about 184 kilometers, with an overall elevation gain of about 2400 meters. After a long flat section to Silla, the route began to climb along the Porrettana road, passing through the Metropolitan City of Bologna in the municipalities of Castel Guelfo di Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, San Lazzaro di Savena, Pianoro, Sasso Marconi, Marzabotto, Vergato, and Gaggio Montano. In Vergato, the caravan passed through Piazza Capitani della Montagna, the birthplace of Alfonso Calzolari, winner of the Giro in 1914.

The final climb to Corno alle Scale

The final and decisive climb to Corno alle Scale measures about 13.6 km with an average gradient of 8.4%. After the Gran Premio della Montagna of Querciola and a short descent towards Villaggio Europa, in the territory of Lizzano in Belvedere, the riders faced the last 12 kilometers all uphill on a mountain road full of hairpin bends, with gradients up to 15% in the final 3 km, before finishing at the Rifugio Cavone, at an altitude of 1471 meters.

The territory of Lizzano in Belvedere

The finish involved numerous hamlets of the Municipality of Lizzano in Belvedere, the heart of the Corno alle Scale Regional Park: from Vidiciatico to Pianaccio, from Madonna dell'Acero to Monteacuto delle Alpi, from Rocca Corneta to Poggiolforato, up to Querciola, Farnè, Gabba, La Cà, and Villaggio Europa. On the occasion of the race's passage, on May 9th, a stone monument dedicated to the Giro d'Italia was inaugurated at the Laghetto del Cavone, a sign of the pride of a mountain community that lives cycling as part of its identity.

An event for the entire Alto Reno

For the Bolognese Apennines and the tourist resort of Corno alle Scale, the stage finish represented a great showcase, capable of attracting thousands of fans along the roads. The day was part of a broader territory promotion program by the Emilia-Romagna Region within Sport Valley, involving six provinces of the region between the Giro d'Italia and Giro d'Italia Women.