The upcoming important events planned in Lombardy for the sporting discipline of Downhill. In particular, the IXS – European Cup which will take place in Aprica on 27, 28 and 29 June, in conjunction with the third round of the Coppa Italia and the Trofeo Regione Lombardia and the single-round Italian Championship which will instead be held in Madesimo on 19 and 20 July.
Source: press release
Also speaking at the presentation were Riccardo Tagliabue, head of Downhill Italy, Dario Corvi, mayor of Aprica, Daniela Pilatti, mayor of Madesimo, the Regional Councilor of Lombardy, Riccardo Pase and the president of the Association i Ragazzi di Robin Melania.
“We are proud to be able to support a competition that not only promotes sport at high levels, but also encourages youth participation, with a significant growth in female participation and an ever-increasing involvement of emerging athletes,” said Federica Picchi, Regional Undersecretary for Sport and Youth. “The Downhill it is a discipline capable of attracting young audiences and enthusiasts, events like this represent a driving force for the promotion of the Lombardy region and its mountains.
We are also happy that the event will also have a focus on the world of different abilities” adds Picchi “In fact, the “Ragazzi di Robin” will be present, an association of disabled children born to promote the inclusion, autonomy and well-being of children, who will take care of taking photos and videos during the trials and the final race. Sport is also this, being able to enhance the different talents by playing as a team and making the competition live in a healthy way, with respect and passion”.
“Great opportunity this year for Aprica which will host a race of the International Championship of Downhill, and for Madesimo, in Valle Spluga, which will host the Italian Championship”, commented Massimo Sertori, regional councillor for Local Authorities and Mountains.
"Valtellina and Valchiavenna - continues Sertori - are once again the absolute protagonists of a discipline that is very popular and appreciated and that, in recent years, has contributed significantly to making our territory known and attracting enthusiasts and tourists. Suffice it to say that the stages of this sports competition have sold out the accommodation facilities in the area. Both Aprica and Madesimo - concludes Massimo Sertori - will offer a great show, demonstrating once again their organizational capacity and the beauty of our mountains, even in the summer months, pursuing the goal of deseasonalizing attendance and tourism offerings".
Also present at the press conference was Riccardo Tagliabue, head of Downhill Italy, who explained: “Among the sports disciplines that have recorded incredible numbers in recent years there is precisely Downhill, a category of the bike sector linked to off-road that is one of the most extreme and adrenaline-filled, in which athletes descend the mountains at full speed, along tracks designed specifically for them. All against the clock, exactly as happens in skiing, in a sharp descent to determine the winner.
In Lombardy and in Italy, today, almost all mountain resorts are equipped with ski slopes Downhill to respond to an ever-increasing demand from athletes and enthusiasts. This is also because the world of off-road cycling has continually grown in recent years, so much so that the number of FCI members and amateur practitioners can be said to have surpassed that of road sports.
In the last 2 years, moreover, all records have been broken in relation to the very young categories of Esordienti and Junior. Even the competitors in the Top Class are not far behind and in the last seasons "our blues" have shone also at an international level.
For this reason in 2025 – continues Tagliabue – our Sports Association of Monza with “Downhill Italia” has decided to bring the IXS European Cup, one of the most prestigious international circuits, back to our country and for the first time in Lombardy. Aprica has been chosen for this very important race, which for the occasion will renovate its “Magnolta” track with a special track, which will remain accessible to all enthusiasts until September, when the Regional Championship will take place, which will conclude the season.
This year Aprica will host, in addition to the European Circuit race registered in the UCI calendar, also the Third Round of the Italian Cup and the “Trofeo Regione Lombardia” now in its third edition, all on the same race weekend.
Thanks to Madesimo, which has hosted the Coppa Italia for years with great success and many recognitions from the riders, the Italian Championship of the discipline also returns to Lombardy. The most important event for the Italian riders, where the tricolor jerseys will be assigned to the National Champions, who will compete on the “Valle delle Streghe” track. All the great champions of the local discipline are expected for this event, starting with Davide Cappello from Valtellina, already champion in 2022”.
"For Aprica this is a debut at this level - said Mayor Corvi -. We are working at our best, with the renewal of a route that will be the first step in a series of interventions included and financed in the Territorial Pact signed with the Lombardy Region. From here, a development project will start in concrete terms, which will see us as protagonists in the world of downhill”. “The riders and athletes who have frequented Madesimo in recent years – explained Mayor Pilatti – have greatly appreciated our adrenaline-filled trails. This has allowed us to stand out even more among fans of this sport. We are working to trace new trails and lengthen the trails to make our location even more inviting for fans of this extreme sport and to see us as protagonists in hosting new competitions”.
“The involvement of Robin’s boys in this wonderful initiative – adds Councilor Riccardo Pase, vice president of the Environment Commission at Pirellone, who has always been close to the Association – represents an important opportunity for them, because it also brings them closer to the world of sport. Robin’s boys, in fact, have already demonstrated several times that they have a sporting character. I remember that some of them also participated in the New York Marathon, self-financing through the creation of very suggestive paintings. On that occasion we had set up a traveling exhibition that also stopped at Palazzo Pirelli. This time too, the idea is to create, after the races, an exhibition open to the public that will tell the story of this journey, seen through their eyes”
“When this idea was proposed to me, I immediately thought that it could be an opportunity for our kids, perfectly in line with our mission – concludes Melania Scocco, president and founder of the Associazione i Ragazzi di Robin, founded in 2018 and which brings together kids with disabilities, from all over Lombardy and Brianza – We accepted with great enthusiasm, aware that for our kids this could be an opportunity to experience something extraordinary and new, experiences that will also be a reason for them to grow. Through their shots we could see this sport from their point of view, and who knows, maybe among them there will also be a future sports photographer”.
From Cortina to Lombardy, given that in 2024 Downhill Italy has organized the Italian Championship in the Dolomite location. A common thread that brings our mountains back into the spotlight in view of the Winter Olympics also in summer. Two incredible events on the international scene in Valtellina that all enthusiasts will want to participate in, both as competitors but also as fans on the edge of the track.
