One of the World's Three Major Cycling Races, the Giro d'Italia, Kicks Off on Friday, May 8! Exclusive Live Broadcast of All 21 Stages, Complete LIVE Streaming from Start to Finish on J SPORTS On Demand!

Sports television station, J SPORTS Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Tsukasa Tonosaki; hereinafter "J SPORTS" *1) will exclusively broadcast all 21 stages of the 109th Giro d'Italia, which opens on Friday, May 8, via J:COM, cable TV stations nationwide, and SkyPerfecTV!. In addition, "J SPORTS On Demand" *2, which can be viewed on PCs, smartphones, and tablets, will provide complete LIVE streaming of all stages from start to finish, with Japanese commentary and analysis, as well as local commentary and analysis (English). To deliver the excitement of the Giro d'Italia, the first Grand Tour race, to as many people as possible, the first stage will be broadcast/streamed for free *3. Please enjoy the splendor unique to the first stage.

The Giro d'Italia is one of the world's three major cycling races, alongside the Tour de France in France and the Vuelta a España in Spain, and it is the first to open.

This 109th edition kicks off in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria. Riders will compete in three stages from the Black Sea coast to the capital, Sofia. After landing in Italy, sprints and mountain stages will intertwine, with the general classification battle expected to intensify at Blockhaus and Corno alle Scale. The second week features an individual time trial of over 40km in Tuscany, followed by challenging mountain stages in the Aosta Valley, culminating in a sprint finish in Milan. The final week includes two tough mountain stages before heading to Rome, with the 19th stage, the queen stage of the Dolomites, crossing the highest point of this race (Cima Coppi) at an altitude of 2,233m at Passo Giau, followed by the final mountain showdown the next day, and the finale in Rome.

The total distance of the 21 stages is 3,466km, with a cumulative elevation gain of 48,700m.

This year, 23 teams will participate, including 18 WorldTeams and 5 ProTeams.

Among the scheduled participants, Jonas Vingegaard Hansen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), a two-time Tour de France overall winner and one-time Vuelta a España overall winner, is a notable rider. If he achieves overall victory in his debut appearance in this race, it will be a historic achievement, making him the eighth rider in history to win all Grand Tours.

Past winners such as Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Jai Hindley (Red Bull – Bora–Hansgrohe), as well as notable riders like João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), and Jonathan Milan (Lidl–Trek), are scheduled to participate. The three-week battle, where all of Italy turns pink, is not to be missed.

This year, J SPORTS will also broadcast all Grand Tour races live. Please enjoy the world's top road cycling races, from the Giro d'Italia to the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.

Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), winner of the 108th edition ©Lapresse

Tough mountain passes are one of the characteristics of the Giro d'Italia ©LaPresse

Italian towns also turn pink ©LaPresse

*1 J SPORTS is a sports television station viewable via J:COM, cable TV nationwide, BS broadcasting (SkyPerfecTV!), etc.

*2 J SPORTS On Demand is a paid service. For details, please search for "J SPORTS On Demand."

*3 Free broadcasting is available to those who can view J SPORTS via BS broadcasting and those who subscribe to J:COM TV service or some cable TV stations.

Information is also posted regularly on each official J SPORTS Cycle Road Race account:

X ⇨ https://x.com/jspocycle/

Facebook ⇨ https://www.facebook.com/jspocycleclub/

Instagram ⇨ https://www.instagram.com/jspocycle/

Strava ⇨ https://www.strava.com/clubs/jsports_cycle

YouTube ⇨ https://www.youtube.com/c/jspocycle

Cycle village⇨https://www.jsports.co.jp/cyclevillage/

Luxury gift campaign underway! Cycle Road Race Annual Pack on sale from May 1

From Friday, May 1, 2026, the "Cycle Road Race Annual Pack" will be available for purchase on J SPORTS On Demand.

This plan is a limited-time offer from May 1 to June 1, 2026. It is a special plan where you can enjoy cycle road races for 12 months for the price of 9 months.

Furthermore, this