A relentless sequence of climbing and a summit finish at altitude will squeeze tired legs and expose any weaknesses that riders have been hiding. With opportunities for GC attacks and ambitious breakaway specialists, this could be one of the last big battlegrounds for those still dreaming of reshaping the overall standings.

A brutal summit finish at Carì will squeeze maximum damage from a relatively short 113.0 km day, piling nearly all its difficulty into a relentless final 11.6 km ascent at 8.0% where pure climbers will thrive. With tired legs deep into the race, this stage could expose cracks in GC contenders’ armour and might tempt aggressive attacks from riders still hunting time or a breakthrough victory.

The fast men’s teams will smell a golden opportunity on this 157.0 km flat stage, as the peloton will thunder toward one of cycling’s most iconic cities with the pure sprinters firmly in control. Lead‑out trains and late positioning battles could turn the final kilometres into a high‑speed chess match before a drag‑race on Milan’s streets.

Relentless climbing will stack up the fatigue before the final ascent to Pila, where the gradients will invite explosive attacks and punish any weakness. This will be a day when pure climbers and GC contenders alike could trade blows long before the summit, turning the race into a war of attrition.

The fast men will circle this 189 km stage in red, with their teams expected to keep a tight grip on proceedings all day. A long run along the lakes and into Verbania, with the Ungiasca climb (4.7 km at 7.0% at km 171) as the main obstacle, will set up a high-speed drag race that is likely to suit the purest sprinters who can endure that late ascent.

A lumpy day through Ligurian backroads will tempt opportunists to ambush the sprinters’ teams long before Novi Ligure. The rolling terrain and the late kick of Pasturana (0.6 km at 7.2% with 8 km to go) could sap the pure fast men, setting up a tense chase between breakaway specialists and reduced-bunch finishers.

A long sequence of grinding ascents will steadily sap the legs before a demanding finale built around La Foce and the Colla dei Scioli, rewarding riders with both climbing resilience and sharp tactical sense. With fatigue from the opening week already baked in, this could be a launchpad for bold GC raids or a ruthless ambush from the breakaway specialists.

Stage 10 will offer sprinters a rare chance to unleash their full power on a short, flat 42.0 km route. With such a brief distance, teams will likely ride aggressively from the gun, and the battle for position before the final dash to Massa could be frantic.

Stage 9 will shift the race’s focus firmly toward the climbers, with the summit finish set to expose any cracks in the general classification hopefuls. A long approach of rolling terrain will sap the legs before the final ascent, where sustained gradients could tempt ambitious attacks from both GC contenders and opportunistic breakaway specialists.

Stage 8 will twist through a relentless sequence of sharp ramps and rolling terrain over 156.0 km, with 1804 m of elevation that will steadily sap the legs before the finale. The punchy late climbs will invite attacks from puncheurs and opportunists, setting up a potentially chaotic fight for time and stage glory.