For Val di Fassa Bike District it's about theeleventh international event dedicated to enduro, a result built over the years with dedication, perseverance, and a shared growth path that involved the Organizing Committee, the community, and all local operators.
Source: press release
They were 500 athletes at the start, representing 31 nations, divided between riders from the UCI Enduro World Cup and the Shimano Enduro Open. After two days of practice and two days of competition, thanks to the combination of lifts and pedal transfers, the athletes accumulated thousands of meters of altitude difference and crossed four of the main slopes of the area With Rodella, Belvedere, Ciampac e Arabba – reaching as far as Veneto.
If the format allowed the competitors to experience the Val di Fassa area in all its variety, the race confirmed from Day 1 how the traced was capable of making a selection. Judged among the most challenging of the season, the course highlighted technique, physical preparation, and energy management. In a top-level competition, there was no shortage of success for the Italian team, which had been a key player since the first day.
THE RACE
La first day – Saturday – the UCI Enduro World Cup Val di Fassa Trentino 2026 had in fact ended with the Tuscan Thomas Calonaci (Ottoracing Technology) led the Elite standings. After more than thirteen minutes of special tests, Calonaci led the race with just three seconds ahead of the Frenchman. Alex Rudeau on Commencal Bikes, UCI Enduro World Champion right here in Val di Fassa in 2024, without having won a single stage but building his leadership thanks to an extremely consistent race and always in the top positions. The Dutchman is provisional third. Tristan Bogaard, almost six seconds from the top.
The other Italian also performed well Thomas Francardo (Abetone Gravity Team), fifth just seven seconds behind first place.
With such small gaps, Sunday promised to be a wide-open challenge.
After two days of testing and a Saturday played with sunshine and high temperatures, Sunday but it has completely changed face. A violent storm cell It reached Val di Fassa and the surrounding valleys just as the Elite Men were reaching the start of the PS4 Titans. The strong electrical activity forced the immediate shutdown of the ski lifts, forcing Race Direction to suspend the competition and have all athletes return to the paddock, putting the safety of riders, marshals, and staff along the route first.
After about an hour of waiting, the decision was to cancel special stages 4, 5 and 6 for the Elite Men and resume the race only on the last special stage, the PS7 Ciasates. For the Shimano Enduro Open, instead, the classification was defined on the four special stages already completed.
For the Elite It was a very long day: their only special stage of Sunday only started in the late afternoon, with Tommaso Calonaci starting at 18.04Hours of waiting, tension, and concentration before suddenly returning to race mode and tackling the short but technical Ciasates in front of the huge crowd gathered in the finish bowl of the Event Village.
right on thelast special The twist has arrived. After having already set the fastest time on the Ciasates EWS on Saturday, Tristan Bogaard he was also the fastest on the Ciasates World Champs, recovering 6,5 seconds on Calonaci and taking his first World Cup victory with just six tenths of a second ahead of the Italian.
Behind the Dutchman, Thomas Calonaci finished a splendid second place, while Thomas Francardo, author of a very consistent race and an excellent performance on the final wet special stage, climbed up to third position.
This is a historic result for Italy: two Elite riders on the podium at a stage of the UCI Enduro World Cup, right on the trails of Val di Fassa.
Among Elite Women, Day 1 had closed in the sign of Ella Conolly on a Cannondale bike. The British rider had won Saturday's first special stage, the long Tutti Frutti, then maintained the lead in the next two special stages and finished the first day at the top of the women's standings.
Il Day 2, however, completely changed the scenario. The Elite women managed to face the PS4 Titans before the facilities closed and right in the rain the French Melanie Pugin Team Le Speed Project mounted a decisive comeback: starting from sixth place after Day 1, they recovered almost thirty seconds, taking the lead with a lead of over ten seconds over Conolly.
Sulla PS7 Ciasates, the final stage after the restart, Pugin then consolidated her lead, gaining another six seconds or so and finishing 17 seconds ahead of Ella Conolly. Third place went to Australian Winnifred Goldsbury (Specialized NZ). The first of the Italians was Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Gravity Team), who finished sixth.
Among Junior Men, the podium stands out Lorenzo Cesari, third in a category of 38 competitors. The victory went to the Australian Harper Nelmes Transitionbikes Australia, ahead of the French Hugo Marti Montessinos Wood Track Enduro Team.
In Shimano Enduro Open, noteworthy is the third place overall of Christian Tonazzolli, but also the splendid performance of the timeless Trentino Martin Fruet, who on his home trails achieved a prestigious fourth overall position.
The report delivers the names of the winners and the final results. An event like this, However, leaves much more.
Mountain enduro constantly tests those who experience it. Riders are challenged to interpret the terrain, manage their energy, and adapt to conditions that can change in a matter of minutes. But so are those who organize the race. Each edition represents an opportunity for growth, and every challenge faced helps strengthen the foundations on which to build the future.
For a destination like the Val di Fassa Bike DistrictThis means continuing to invest in the quality of the trails, the development of the bike product, and the organization of events. Riders choose Val di Fassa for the beauty of the Dolomites, the quality of the trails, and the authentic experience it offers.
It is no coincidence that just at the beginning of this week the Event Manager of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Francesco Gozio, has given Val di Fassa the recognition “Trusted Location”An award that goes far beyond a symbolic gesture: it represents recognition of the organizational quality, the reliability of the destination, the quality of the race routes, and the contribution that Val di Fassa has made, year after year, to the growth of international enduro.
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1 | BOTTERAM Tristan |  | 16:20:199 | + 2: 45.082 |
| 2 | CALONACI Thomas |  | 16:20:822 | + 2: 45.705 |
| 3 | FRANCARD Thomas | | 16:25:724 | + 2: 50.607 |
| 4 | RODGERS ran |  | 16:26:611 | + 2: 51.494 |
| 5 | RUDEAU Alex |  | 16:27:233 | + 2: 52.116 |
| 6 | WALL Evan | | 16:29:558 | + 2: 54.441 |
| 7 | BLÁHA Vojtěch |  | 16:31:545 | + 2: 56.428 |
| 8 | TENET BERRAT Marius | | 16:34:310 | + 2: 59.193 |
| 9 | RYYNÄNEN Tarmo |  | 16:36:627 | + 3: 01.510 |
| 10 | IAMBS Raphael | | 16:37:585 | + 3: 02.468 |
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1 | PUGIN Mélanie | From | 27:45:099 |
| 2 | CONOLLY She |  GBR | 28:02:344 |
| 3 | GOLDSBURY Winnifred |  NZL | 28:05:159 |
| 4 | HOSKIN Elly | CAN | 28:25:172 |
| 5 | RICHTER Raphaela |  GER | 28:27:352 |
| 6 | ELLECOSTA Nadine | ITA | 28:51:375 |
| 7 | SWIFT George | NZL | 29:08:911 |
| 8 | KUCHYŇKOVÁ Simona |  SVK | 29:17:979 |
| 9 | BARAONA Rebecca | GBR | 29:22:594 |
| 10 | WEBER Helen | GER | 29:35:765 |
