On the eve of the 2026 UCI Road Cycling World Championships, Livigno reaffirms its central role on the international stage as a reference destination for altitude training and final preparation ahead of the season's most important sporting events. A great many athletes, teams and federations chose the resort over the summer to put the finishing touches on their preparation ahead of the major seasonal appointments, a summer that culminates with the upcoming World Championships in Montréal. Among those who stood out are Michael Matthews (Australia), Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), Wout van Aert (Belgium), Alberto Bettiol (Italy), Lorenzo Finn (Italy), Primož Roglič (Slovenia), Finn Fisher-Black (New Zealand), Jai Hindley (Australia), Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Luke Tuckwell (Australia) and Callum Thornley (Great Britain).
A list that spans different nationalities, teams and sporting backgrounds, and that reflects the standing Livigno has achieved over the years. The choice of altitude, at such a delicate stage of the season, speaks to the athletes' trust in the conditions the resort offers and in an ecosystem built over time around the specific demands of the highest level of performance: world-class infrastructure, including the Olympic Preparation Centre AQ1816, a wide variety of routes, specialist services and a sporting culture deeply rooted in the local territory.
Among the organisations that chose Livigno to support their preparation for the season's major events is Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, of which Livigno is the Official Altitude Training Destination. A partnership that finds one of its most tangible expressions in the work of the athletes themselves, and which takes on particular significance on the eve of the World Championships. The team arrives at the world event with significant ambitions, with several of its most prominent riders having spent part of their preparation in Livigno. Among them is Remco Evenepoel, time trial world champion for the past three editions and double Olympic champion at Paris 2024: "I've learned that putting extra pressure on myself won't make me go faster. Of course, it would be fantastic to make history in Montréal, but in a time trial it all comes down to giving your best on a demanding course. That's what I need to focus on. Everything depends on my own performance. If the result comes, it will be an extraordinary day; if it doesn't, I'll know I did everything I could on that day."
The champion also reflected on his preparation: "I think Livigno is probably one of the best places to prepare for a World Championship. It's not simply about training at altitude, which you could do in many other parts of Europe. In Livigno the roads are fantastic, you're surrounded by beautiful mountains and you have some legendary climbs right on your doorstep. The facilities are also among the best in Europe, which makes it much easier to recover after the harder sessions. Beyond the training, the village itself is peaceful and welcoming, which is an equally important factor when you're one hundred percent focused on your preparation."
The 2026 UCI Road Cycling World Championships will be held in Montréal, Canada, from 20 to 27 September. The programme includes time trial and road race events for the elite categories, as well as the mixed team relay.
The approach to the World Championships thus also becomes an opportunity to relive the journey that has brought many of the protagonists all the way to Montréal. The race will award medals, but the challenge is built in the toil of the weeks and months that precede the world event. And, for many of the protagonists expected in Canada, much of that work took place in Livigno.
From the big names in world cycling to young talents, the thread that unites them is a choice: the choice to entrust Livigno with a decisive part of their preparation. Because if the medals are decided in Montréal, the path to trying to win them begins much earlier. It begins at the 1816 Bike Zone Livigno.
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