The 109th Giro d'Italia sees its first week come to a close with a major summit finish atop Corno alle Scale on stage 9 with potential for a major shakeup in the general classification before the second rest day of the race. The final climb is 10.8km at an average gradient of 6.1%, with a max kick of 15% inside the last 2km – almost certainly a launchpad for one of the big-name favourites.
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 9 Race Times
Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 9 Race Times
Friday 8 May 2026
| Timezone | Start Village | Km 0 | Est. Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | CEST / UTC+2 | 12:35 | 12:50 | 17:13 |
Race favourites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) has already shown he is sharp and on form with a fiery showing on stage 2 in Bulgaria before taking the stage win on stage 7 up to Blockhaus as he completed his Grand Tour stage win set. Will his squad ride for another stage win or will they take it steady and let the break get away before searching for more time?
Giulio Pellizzari and teammate Jai Hindley at Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, both look to be in good shape with the latter showing he has the form that could see him challenge as the race goes on. However, Vingegaard will likely be looking elsewhere for his main rival in the mountains with Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM) being the rider who got closest to the Dane on Blockhaus, even closing in the final kilometres to finish a mere 13 seconds behind, can he be up there again this time?
Of course, a breakaway win isn't out of the question and, if anything, is quite likely, as Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) showed by taking stage 8 in Fermo. Several riders looked strong on the day, with Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana), Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), Martin Tjøtta (Uno-X Mobility) and more all in good shape.
Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) will be keen to hold on to as much of his 3'15" advantage over Vingegaard on the final climb, but the great Dane took almost three minutes out of him on Blockhaus. Today might see Vingegaard end the first week of the Giro d'Italia in pink.
The shape of the stage
The ninth stage is a difficult one to manage. If you want to get into the breakaway you will have to have good power on the flat as the majority of the day is exactly that. The first real climb of the day doesn't come until about 30km to go with the Querciola climb of 11.3km at 4.3% with a max kick of 15%. This is just a foothill leading to the final climb which starts a mere 4.2km after the top of the Querciola.
With a Red Bull Kilometre coming just about 600 metres into the final climb, if the peloton is all together by then the GC riders will be keen to go for the precious bonus seconds as they can mean everything in the battle for a place in the final top 10 in Rome.
What is clear is that there will almost certainly be movement for a large breakaway to form with a day of two races likely taking place as the peloton sets up a GC showdown behind the stage winners out front.
How to watch Giro d'Italia Stage 9
Coverage is geo-restricted by market. The full broadcaster breakdown by country is below.
Where to Watch Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 9
Where to Watch Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 9
| 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 9
Stage 9 is essentially a monoclimb stage, and unless you want to take in the full Romagna roll-out from Cervia, there's almost no reason to watch the opening two-thirds. The route is pan-flat from the start through Ravenna, Cotignola and Mordano, then rolls gently up the Porrettana past Sasso Marconi (km 117, ~15:23 CEST) and Marzabotto (km 125, intermediate sprint, ~15:34 CEST).
If you only watch one section, tune in from roughly 16:00 CEST, as the peloton approaches Silla (km 156) and the climbing begins in earnest. The first categorised climb runs through Gaggio Montano and over Querciola (3rd cat., 823 m, ~16:36 CEST), with only a brief descent into Villaggio Europa before the final ascent begins. The race effectively becomes one long climb from Silla to the summit – 28 km of near-continuous ascent into Bologna's defining mountain. The steepest ramps come above Madonna dell'Acero (km 181, 1,198 m, ~17:04 CEST) on the way to the 1,471 m finish at Corno alle Scale, with the stage expected to wrap up between 17:00 and 17:27 CEST depending on race speed.
Check out out full Giro d'Italia stage guide to use our interactive tool to find the best moments to watch each stage.
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 9 starts at 12:50 CEST, estimated finish 17:13 CEST
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 Sport/ Fabio Ferrari / LaPresse
