The 2026 Giro d'Italia hits its first summit finish on Stage 7, a 244 km mountain stage from Formia to Blockhaus across the Apennines.
Eulalio Afonso (Bahrain Victorious) currently sits top of the general classification, but we'll expect to see a reformed picture at the top after today's summit finish, with the major favourites group which is currently 6:16 down likely to form a brutal selection on the slopes of Blockhaus.
In our in-depth stage guide, we broke down all of the key times to watch the Giro d'Italia, and you can see our breakdown below.
Whether you're at home or abroad, here's how to watch live, with official TV channels, free-to-air options and information on using a VPN while travelling.
Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 7 Race Times
Friday 8 May 2026
| Timezone | Start Village | Km 0 | Est. Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | CEST / UTC+2 | 10:45 | 10:55 | 17:11 |
Race favourites
Stage 7 is the first real GC test of the 2026 Giro, and the Blockhaus summit should produce time gaps. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) enters as one of the leading contenders. Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Egan Bernal (Netcompany INEOS), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Enric Mas (Movistar) are among those expected to challenge on the final climb.
Stage 6 Results
May 14
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Ballerini Davide | XDS Astana TeamXDS Astana Team | 03:19:30 |
| 🥈 | Stuyven Jasper | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +0:00 |
| 🥉 | Magnier Paul | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +0:00 |
| 4 | Plowright Jensen | Alpecin-Premier TechAlpecin-Premier Tech | +0:00 |
| 5 | Turner Ben | Netcompany INEOS Cycling TeamNetcompany INEOS Cycling Team | +0:00 |
| 6 | Segaert Alec | Bahrain VictoriousBahrain Victorious | +0:00 |
| 7 | Mozzato Luca | Tudor Pro Cycling TeamTudor Pro Cycling Team | +0:00 |
| 8 | Magli Filippo | Bardiani-CSF 7 SaberBardiani-CSF 7 Saber | +0:00 |
| 9 | Zanoncello Enrico | Bardiani-CSF 7 SaberBardiani-CSF 7 Saber | +0:00 |
| 10 | van Uden Casper | Team Picnic PostNLTeam Picnic PostNL | +0:00 |
| 11 | Blikra Erlend | Uno-X MobilityUno-X Mobility | +0:00 |
| 12 | González David | Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling TeamPinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:00 |
| 13 | Narváez Jhonatan | UAE Team Emirates-XRGUAE Team Emirates-XRG | +0:00 |
| 14 | Lonardi Giovanni | Team Polti VisitMaltaTeam Polti VisitMalta | +0:00 |
| 15 | Aerts Toon | Lotto-IntermarchéLotto-Intermarché | +0:00 |
| 16 | Penhoët Paul | Groupama-FDJ UnitedGroupama-FDJ United | +0:00 |
| 17 | Ackermann Pascal | Team Jayco-AlUlaTeam Jayco-AlUla | +0:00 |
| 18 | Zukowsky Nickolas | Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling TeamPinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:00 |
| 19 | Vernon Ethan | NSN Cycling TeamNSN Cycling Team | +0:00 |
| 20 | Maestri Mirco | Team Polti VisitMaltaTeam Polti VisitMalta | +0:00 |
| 21 | Cepeda Alexander | EF Education-EasyPostEF Education-EasyPost | +0:00 |
| 22 | Mihkels Madis | EF Education-EasyPostEF Education-EasyPost | +0:00 |
| 23 | Naesen Oliver | Decathlon CMA CGM TeamDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +0:00 |
| 24 | Morgado António | UAE Team Emirates-XRGUAE Team Emirates-XRG | +0:00 |
| 25 | Rutsch Jonas | Lotto-IntermarchéLotto-Intermarché | +0:00 |
| 26 | O'Connor Ben | Team Jayco-AlUlaTeam Jayco-AlUla | +0:00 |
| 27 | Swift Connor | Netcompany INEOS Cycling TeamNetcompany INEOS Cycling Team | +0:00 |
| 28 | Bjerg Mikkel | UAE Team Emirates-XRGUAE Team Emirates-XRG | +0:00 |
| 29 | Van den Bossche Fabio | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +0:00 |
| 30 | Svestad-Bårdseng Embret | Netcompany INEOS Cycling TeamNetcompany INEOS Cycling Team | +0:00 |
How to watch Giro d'Italia Stage 7
Coverage is geo-restricted by market. The full broadcaster breakdown by country is below.
Where to Watch Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 7
| Region | Broadcaster | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports via HBO Max | £30.99/mo | Live streaming on HBO Max; TNT Sports linear coverage |
United States | HBO Max / truTV | $18.49/mo | Live sport requires HBO Max Standard tier or above |
Canada | FloBikes / FloSports | CAN$49.99/mo or CAN$215.88/yr | FloBikes is the Canadian streaming home |
Australia | SBS On Demand / SBS VICELAND | Free | Free-to-air with English commentary |
Italy | RAI / RaiPlay | Free | Free national live coverage |
France | Eurosport / HBO Max / Discovery+ | Varies | European WBD coverage |
Belgium | RTL / VRT / Sporza | Free | Highlights coverage only, not full live broadcast |
Netherlands | Eurosport / HBO Max / Discovery+ | Varies | European WBD coverage |
Germany | Eurosport / HBO Max / Discovery+ | Varies | European WBD coverage |
Legal free streams
Several countries offer free-to-air official coverage of the Giro d'Italia:
- Australia – SBS On Demand / SBS VICELAND (live, free account required)
- Italy – RAI / RaiPlay (live)
- Switzerland – RSI / SRF (live)
- Belgium – RTL / VRT / Sporza (highlights only)
If you're travelling, a VPN may help you access the services you already pay for or use at home, subject to the broadcaster's terms.
Using a VPN while travelling
Broadcasters limit streams by territory. If you're travelling, a VPN can route your connection through your home country so you can use your existing paid or free account from abroad, subject to the broadcaster's terms.
Velora Choice: NordVPN
Use a secure VPN connection to watch cycling on your existing subscription services or free streams while you’re away from home. Always follow local laws and your provider’s terms of use.
Our editorial team uses NordVPN by choice, we all purchased it independently to watch cycling races wherever we are.
- 8,400+ VPN servers covering 167+ locations
- One of the fastest VPNs on the market
- Protection from surveillance & cyberthreats
- Use NordVPN on up to 10 devices
How to do it:
- Download and install your VPN app.
- Connect to your home country (e.g., UK for TNT Sports or Australia for SBS).
- Open your usual broadcaster's site or app and start watching.
Velora never endorses bypassing broadcast rights. Use a VPN only with official services, whether paid or free-to-air, while abroad. Always use legitimate platforms. Unofficial streams often breach copyright and expose viewers to malware or fake ads.
When to watch Stage 7
Stage 7 is the first genuine summit-finish test of the Giro and the race’s first major GC battleground. The early flat run from Formia is largely transitional, so there’s little need to watch from the start. The key phase begins as the peloton approaches Roccaraso at around 14:50–15:20 local time, depending on race speed, where the climbing sequence into the Abruzzo mountains starts in earnest. From there the riders tackle a relentless chain of ascents through Rivisondoli, Passo San Leonardo and the Majella region before the brutal final climb to Blockhaus. If you only watch one section, tune in for the final hour from roughly 16:00 onwards, when fatigue, altitude and the 9.2km summit finish are likely to trigger the first serious GC separation of the race.
Quick recap
- Watch live via official broadcasters (TNT Sports, HBO Max, SBS, RAI and more)
- Free live coverage in Australia, Italy and Switzerland
- Belgium offers free highlights via RTL and VRT/Sporza
- Travelling abroad? Use a VPN to keep access to your home subscription
- Avoid unofficial streams; they can breach copyright and carry security risks
- Stage 7 starts at 10:45 CET, estimated finish 17:11 CET
Velora Choice: NordVPN
Use a secure VPN connection to watch cycling on your existing subscription services or free streams while you’re away from home. Always follow local laws and your provider’s terms of use.
Get NordVPN - Special OfferVelora only promotes VPN use to maintain access to legitimate, paid, or free-to-air services while abroad.
Cover image credit: RCS/ Massimo Paolone / LaPresse
