Granfondo Livigno Alè: challenge on the epic alpine climbs

From the Riva Bike Festival to the first big challenge of the summer: Livigno gears up for the Granfondo.

Livigno, 05/05/2026 –
The first signal came from Riva del Garda, where the Riva Bike Festival has just wrapped up—an event that symbolically marks the start of the European cycling season each year. In this setting, among thousands of enthusiasts, industry professionals, and some of the most prominent figures on the international bike scene, Livigno presented its vision of contemporary cycling, strongly reaffirming the positioning of Livigno | 1816 Bike Zone.

On the Livigno-branded stage, talks, interviews, editorial productions, and special content came to life, telling both the live and digital audience about a multifaceted ecosystem where performance, territory, and ambition coexist organically. A presence that clearly reinforced what Livigno represents today in the European landscape: not simply a bike destination, but a place where cycling finds one of its most complete—and at the same time most selective—expressions. A two-wheel paradise capable of combining performance and well-being, widespread hospitality, and the pursuit of excellence.

It is precisely from this energy that the next major event of the season takes shape: the Granfondo Livigno Alè, scheduled for June 27—an iconic event in Livigno’s bike scene and a key moment of the summer sports calendar.

An extraordinary race set in the high mountains, at altitudes unique for a granfondo, featuring one of the most captivating routes in the entire Alpine arc and selective climbs that have made cycling history. A course designed for those who seek in cycling not only performance, but also challenge, scenery, and memorable emotions. The 2026 edition offers two spectacular routes, both immersed in some of the most iconic landscapes of the Alps. The Granfondo course, with its 166 kilometers and 4,300 meters of elevation gain, is a true test of endurance and character, crossing climbs that are part of cycling legend: the ascent to Umbrail, the austere charm of Passo del Foscagno, the natural selection of Passo Eira, and the striking high-altitude finish at Mottolino—recently made an official Strava segment and the stage of Tadej Pogačar’s pink jersey feat. A sequence of legendary climbs that challenges legs, mind, and the ability to manage effort at altitude.

The Mediofondo route offers a more accessible yet equally intense experience: 106 kilometers and 2,050 meters of elevation gain along an itinerary that takes riders over Passo Forcola, through the evocative Bernina landscape—an extraordinary natural spectacle crowned by snow—and Passo del Forno, before returning to Livigno. A route that combines scenic beauty, technical variety, and authentic Alpine spirit. “Probably the most fascinating setting for cycling,” commented Luca Moretti, President of Livigno Next, during the Riva Bike Festival. “Truly unique, with two routes—one of them highly selective—but sharing a common denominator: the majesty of our mountains.”

In both cases, the common denominator remains the same: riding above 1,816 meters means measuring yourself against an environment where altitude amplifies every effort, every climb feels harder, and every finish line takes on a different value. It is here that performance meets the mountains in their purest form.

As tradition dictates, the race will be surrounded by a rich program of events designed to transform the Granfondo into a true weekend of cycling: a village, side activities, social moments, dedicated services for athletes and companions, and an atmosphere that will engage the entire destination—making the bicycle the shared language of a whole community.

In this way, the Granfondo Livigno Alè fits seamlessly into the broader path of consolidation of Livigno | 1816 Bike Zone—an identity that brings together the destination’s entire cycling soul under one unified system: from major events to academies, from professional training camps to high-altitude preparation, all the way to 3,500 kilometers of routes that make Livigno one of the most complete and recognizable cycling destinations in Europe. Because here, cycling is not just a sport. It is a language. It is a culture. It is an identity. And on June 27, once again, it will be the perfect moment to put yourself to the test within all of this.

Ultime news

Granfondo Alé la Merckx: great success for the first edition in Livigno, in 800 on the climbs of Pogacar

Unforgettable day in Little Tibet, including breathtaking scenery, the iconic climbs of the Giro d’Italia and a day of great participation and sport.

Livigno, 06/29/2024 – It was an intense and spectacular day that animated Livigno on this magnificent weekend at the end of June. Sunny weather and clement temperatures, in fact, welcomed the more than 800 participants at the start, ready to tame the hairpin bends of some of the most iconic passes of tricolor cycling, for a Granfondo with important sporting content and a great value bearing. A unique spectacle, which also attracted to Livigno a group of special competitors, led by Sonny Colbrelli, Andrea Pusateri, Antonio Rossi, Gilberto Neirotti and Cristian Zorzi.

The two variants of the route, both starting at Aquagranda, Livigno’s Olympic Preparation Center, the flagship of the resort’s sports and tourism offerings, tested the athlete’s; endurance, thanks to the presence of some technically challenging, though very rideable, peaks, such as Forcola, Bernina, Umbrail and Foscagno: small feats, to be accomplished surrounded by the beauty of breathtaking scenery.

Among men, victory went to Mattia Gaffuri, in force at ASD Swatt Club, who finished the 167 kilometers of exertion, embellished by more than 4300 meters of altitude gain, in 5 hours, 6 minutes and 52 seconds, clearly preceding Michele Negri and Paolo Castelnovo (both ASD Team MP Filtri), respectively second and third at the finish line. For Gaffuri, the authentic ruler of the Granfondo, the lunge on the Passo del Foscagno was decisive, digging a chasm between him and the small group of pursuers and allowing him a solo finish.

Among the women, again in the long race, an overwhelming victory for an emotional Carlotta Uber, who is deeply attached to Little Tibet, a place she frequented as a child for cross-country skiing and has rediscovered as an adult athlete thanks to mountain running and cycling, a testament to the overall richness of Livigno’s offerings. Gioia Chiodi and Lisa Westner, authors of an excellent race, although distant from the winner, complete the podium.

In the Mediofondo, the short course of 106 kilometers and 2050 meters of elevation gain, success went to Thomas Bergamini (ASD Bike and Fun Team) among men and Luisa Isonni (Boario ASD) among women. Isonni’s victory was clear-cut, trimming more than six minutes off Anna Cadorin, second, and almost ten off Caterina Canclini, who was still excellent and third. The finish of the men’s race was more tightly contested, with Bergamini securing victory over Christian Martinelli only thanks to a decisive sprint on the Passo d’Eira.

Third was Stefan Kirchmair, who, in addition to the satisfaction of the podium, also goes home with a
Pinarello bike, partner of Alé la Merckx, for winning the Pogacar challenge, a special ranking dedicated to the athletes; time between Passo d’Eira and Mottolino, organized to celebrate the Slovenian champion’s sporting feat at the last Giro d’Italia, when he arrived solo on the toughest finish line of the 2024 pink race, squeezed between two wings of the crowd. A stage finish that immediately became an instant classic.

Ultime news