Bormio prepares for World Cup celebration
Awaiting the snow control tomorrow, Wednesday, December 18, Bormio is getting ready for the great spectacle of the Men’s Alpine Ski World Cup, whose program of races will be enriched by a great offer of collateral events, with the territory increasingly protagonist
These days in Bormio the approach to the event of the FIS World Cup of Alpine Skiing(Dec. 28-29, 2024) is lived with bated breath and with a suspended gaze. Scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, December 18, is the FIS snow control that will assess the state of the snowpack on the Stelvio slope ahead of the big speed challenge: Omar Galli ‘s technical team is working day and night, taking advantage of every cold window to produce snow for the Valtellina slope.
In the meantime, preparations for everything that will happen off the track also do not come to a halt, among the main topics of today’s press event, Tuesday, Dec. 17, in Sondrio, at the Sala dei Balli in Palazzo Sertoli, the local headquarters of Crédit Agricole, Partner of Fondazione Bormio. Among those in attendance were Crédit Agricole Italy’s Lombardy North Regional Director Umberto Colli, Alta Valtellina Mountain Community President Francesco Cossi, Bormio Mayor Silvia Cavazzi, Councillor for Sport, Tourism and Major Events Samanta Antonioli, Bormio Foundation President Matteo Bonfà , and Milan-Cortina 2026 Sport Manager Ski Mountaineering Davide Canclini .
With little more than a week to go before the first gate opens, with the two days of trials on December 26 and 27, Bormio is in fact ready to host not only the world’s best sprinters in the Downhill and Super-G trials on the Stelvio, but also a series of events dedicated to sports, culture and the territory.
THREE DAYS OF FESTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE BORMIO AND AN IMPORTANT DATE
The post-Christmas leg of the Men’s Alpine Skiing World Cup is one of the most anticipated events, not only from Bormio, for a celebration that doesn’t stop at the legendary Stelvio slope but involves theentire town and its ski area.
The World Cup Village, in Piazzale Walter Fontana, from Friday, December 27, will be the main meeting and gathering point for the long weekend in Bormio. In addition to various stands and its food and beverage area, there will be a big screen from which to follow time trials and races, and there will be a full calendar of events and entertainment activities for all ages.
After the traditional parade of local ski clubs, accompanied by the music of Andrea Casta, the world’s most famous electric crossover violinist, at 6 p.m. in Cavour Square, it will be the turn of one of the moments when ski fans will be able to see their favorites up close: the draw and bib delivery.
On Saturday, December 28, after the first Downhill race, even the youngest will be able to test themselves on the legendary Stelvio in the now traditional Vitalini Speed Contest. The afternoon will continue, at the World Cup Village, with a meeting dedicated to speed (on skis but not only): sports journalist Carlo Vanzini and former F1 driver and commentator Marc Gené will talk with Simone Origone (holder of the speed record in the KL specialty of 254 km/h), Kristian Ghedina, Giorgio Rocca, Pietro Zazzi, Nicolò Molteni, Christof Innerhofer, Mattia Casse and Werner Heel. Another great champion, originally from Santa Caterina Valfurva, Deborah Compagnoni will instead share her memories with Paolo De Chiesa at 8:45 p.m. at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Sant’Antonio, Valfurva.
Between opportunities to discover and enjoy local cuisine thanks to the GustoFest and entertainment for children with the Trudi Theater, Bormio’s post-Christmas days dedicated to the World Cup will end on the late afternoon of Sunday, December 29, when the Closing Party will take place after the Super-G race from 2 p.m.
THE TERRITORY PROTAGONIST
Also contributing to the organizing effort for the Dec. 28 and 29 competition days will be the youths of the Pathway Project for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO) promoted by theValtellina Promotion and Training Company (APF Valtellina).
Sixty-five students from theIstituto di Istruzione Superiore Statale “Alberti” in Bormio will take part in organizational and practical activities in their respective fields of cooking, dining and tourist hospitality, in collaboration with Fondazione Bormio. Before they roll up their sleeves, a training briefing curated by teachers and sector managers will help them get their bearings: the skills they will acquire will be particularly relevant in view of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, offering a unique opportunity for both the area and the young people involved.
Active for quite some time, the Project from this year will enter the scope of the Milan-Cortina 2026Education Program GEN26 , specifically in the territory of the Province of Sondrio.
THEY SAID:
Umberto Colli (North Lombardy Regional Director of Crédit Agricole Italy): “The partnership between Crédit Agricole and Fondazione Bormio is a project that we have strongly supported, confirming our commitment to the area. The importance of this collaboration is underscored by the choice of venues: both the institutional one of the Foundation and the one hosting this meeting today belong to Crédit Agricole, demonstrating our active role in developing the relationship. “
Francesco Cossi (President of the Comunità Montana Valtellina): “This year’s challenge represents a fundamental test case in view of the Olympic event. In addition to the competitions, we will have the opportunity to concretize a series of projects useful both for the five-ring event and as good practices to be replicated throughout the valley. In recent years, every event is increasingly felt even in the districts not directly involved, and this synergy is an excellent sign for the future of our territory.”
Silvia Cavazzi (Mayor of Bormio): “Bormio returns to be a competition venue, but above all the protagonist of a great event such as the World Cup: a reason of great pride for all of us. The Municipality of Bormio strongly wanted this return and supported the birth of the Bormio Foundation, with the aim of demonstrating, through appointments like this, our ability to work together towards an extraordinary result, also in view of the Olympics. I thank Regione Lombardia and Crédit Agricole for their valuable support in this challenge.”
Samanta Antonioli (Councillor for Tourism, Olympics and Major Events of the Municipality of Bormio): “Our goal as an administration is to make the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics a significant legacy for the future. This is not only about structural works, such as upgrading the Stelvio runway or creating new hospitality areas, but also about generating a positive impact on a social and cultural level. Major events are an opportunity to look beyond the spectacle, concretely investing in people and the host territory .”
Matteo Bonfà (President of Bormio Foundation): “These are days of great intensity, in which our team is testing itself on the different fronts of an organization that is, as always, challenging, with truly exceptional dedication. I am very proud of the efforts put in by the different areas, and we are confident that the outcome of the snow control will reward our efforts and allow us to finalize this great event of the territory, awaited by us as well as by the athletes and the many ski fans.”
Veronica Mazzola (Marketing Director of Bormio Tourism): “It was a precise goal of ours to return from this year to make the public and the territory really protagonists of this event, in a long-term path that will continue in the next editions and towards the goal of the Olympics. The reopening of the grandstands and the excellent sales figures we are seeing in the different sectors show us the interest and enthusiasm there is around this event, which we hope will, as always, highlight the great riches of our territory, in winter as in summer.”
Davide Canclini (Sport Manager Ski Mountaineering of Milan-Cortina 2026): “We are proud that ski mountaineering is making its Olympic debut on the Stelvio slope; it’s the icing on the cake of a journey that began in the early 1990s with high-level races and athletes. There is a lot of work to be done, but there is also a lot of synergy between the Milan Cortina Foundation and the area. An important step will be the test event scheduled for February 22 and 23, 2025.”
Bormio (SO), December 17, 2024
