Stage 1 - Ioannina to Agrinio

With the UCI 2026 European race season close to hand, it’s time to start looking at the various stages and race towns and cities for the 2026 UCI ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas. Stage 1, gives a whole new view of Greece for cycling fans and cycling tourists alike, looking to combine their race visit with a few days relaxing and embracing the history and culture of Greece.

The stage begins at the lakeside city of Ioannina, the capital of Epirus. With its beautiful situation alongside Lake Pamvotida, the still waters form a natural monument to Greek history. Ioannina has been the home to several Greek writers, artists and intellectuals, and celebrates this through a series of annual cultural events and festivals throughout the year. This city has always embraced visitors, and the iconic Stoa Louli arcade is one of the locations where the various communities that created this rich cultural history came together as a mercantile exchange of great importance throughout the whole of Epirus – a region that provides the backdrop for the first days’ cycle racing.

Weaving a route around the rolling hills and beneath the nearby limestone mountains, the first KOM opportunity comes up early, with a category 3 climb at the ancient site of Dodoni - Δωδώνη. Situated in the close to the city of Ioannina, this ancient Greek site is known as the oldest Hellenic oracle, dedicated to Zeus and often associated with the sacred oak tree. The site features a well-preserved ancient theatre which was one of the largest in Greece and was often called "the city of Pyrrhus", in a region that Aristotle considered to be the cradle of the Hellenes. For now, though, it’s a short but steep climb to test the legs of the peloton before they enter the mountain passes proper after 28km.

The winding road and steep, punchy climbs give a true feel of the real Greece, as mountains waters race by at the side of the road. And, as the riders reach the 50km point, the watching crowd can explore the nearby Aqueduct Nicopolis once the peloton has passed, before finding a taverna in the town of Αγ. Γεώργιος (Saint George) and watching the race on tv as it heads towards Agrion and the sprint finish. In its day, the ancient aqueduct was a 50 km-long engineering feat built in the 1st/2nd century AD to supply water from the Louros River to the city of Nicopolis in Epirus, Greece.

Before finishing though, the peloton has a few more kilometers to cover; and the race moves through these ancient landscapes that skirt majestic waters of the Ambracian Gulf, before riders and teams head to the rich plains of Aetolia-Acarnania, that sit surrounded by rocky mountains standing sentinel over the city of Agrion.

The sprinters are given two opportunities to test their legs: at the 73km point as the race passes through the city of Arta - Αρτα , known for its medieval bridge over the Arachthos River, as well as for its ancient sites from the era of Pyrrhus of Epirus and its well-preserved 13th-century castle; then a second sprint at Amfilochia - Αμφιλοχία, at the 115.5km point. Today is a day for cycling through history; and whilst the peloton is otherwise engaged in the race to Agrion, there are a wealth of opportunities for the cycling tourist to explore, in this world centre of history.

Agrion itself, whilst not the capital of the Aetolia-Acarnania region, is the largest city in this part of Greece, and is a blend of the ancient and modern, with a thriving economic and cultural identity. According to mythology, the ancient city of Agrinio – the forerunner to days finish stage - was built by king Agrios, son of Portheus around 1600–1100 BC, making it a worthy addition to this most culturally historic of UCI European stages races. The nearby Temple of Zeus at Stratos is well worth exploring, once the peloton has passed by and sprinted to success at Agrinio.

We are predicting a bunch sprint for stage 1 of the Tour of the Hellas. The start of the stage will be fast as many teams will fight for the day’s breakaway. This fight will allow them to challenge for the first King of the Mountains jersey with 2 small climbs during the stage. The first of them being very close to the start. However, the sprinters teams will need to try and show some sort of control at the start to limit the numbers of the breakaway. This will make it a little easier for them to control the stage and pave the way for potential victory for their sprinter.