Countdown to the 2027 World Cycling Championships: Martin Fourcade on a road bike

High-profile sports personalities, such as former biathlete Martin Fourcade, gathered for the official countdown to the 2027 World Cycling Championships. Bernard Hinault returned to the roads where he became world champion 46 years ago. On Saturday, the French cycling ambassador led a 10 km parade from the Côte de Domancy to Sallanches. The route forms part of the courses for the elite men’s and elite women’s road races at the 2027 UCI Road World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc. Alongside Hinault, Julie Bresset, Olympic champion in mountain bike cross-country, and Samuel Dumoulin, a Tour de France stage winner, took part in the ride.

Collect kilometres with Martin Fourcade

The peloton reached Place Charles Albert in Sallanches, which had been transformed into a cycling arena for the day. There, 20 connected bikes were on standby, representing the 20 UCI World Championships. The aim: to cover a virtual distance of 2,027 km together. Road bikes, track bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and tandems were all used. Cyclists, para-cyclists, amateurs and curious onlookers took turns over five hours until the symbolic distance was reached.

Martin Fourcade with his biathlon teammates

Bernard Hinault was in attendance alongside numerous current and former athletes. Kilian Bron (mountain biking), Julie Bresset (cross-country mountain biking), Victoria Stansfield (road cycling), Lui Han Tsan (BMX racing), Aurore Pernollet and Jérôme Neuville (track cycling), as well as former professional road cyclists Samuel Dumoulin, Eugénie Duval, Julien Duval and Thomas Damuseau, were all there to celebrate. Local champions from other sports, such as Martin Fourcade, Gaëtan Paturel and Antonin Guigonnat (biathlon), Alexis Pinturault (alpine skiing), Emily Harrop (ski mountaineering), Thibaut Baronian (trail running) and Stéphane Tourreau (freediving) were also in attendance.

Martin Fourcade discovers cycling

However, six-time Olympic champion Martin Fourcade did not just use his trip to the Haute-Savoie region for PR engagements and a session on the roller. He also took part in a cycle marathon. Fourcade (38) took part in a competition for the first time in six and a half years since retiring from biathlon. He finished 9th in the inaugural Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc Classic Cyclosportive. Just six minutes separated him from the winner of the mass-participation cycle race. The race covered 105 kilometres and 2,500 metres of elevation gain.

Comments from those in charge

Bernard Hinault described the return to the Côte de Domancy as a special feeling. He said he was delighted to have taken part on the day and to have led the peloton all the way to Sallanches. It was already giving a taste of the passion surrounding the event. Enrico Della Casa said that the crowd in Sallanches embodied the spirit they hoped to carry through to the 2027 World Championships. They were delighted to kick off the countdown with a powerful symbol: a totem developed in collaboration with Tissot, the UCI’s long-standing partner for over 30 years. With 20 different UCI World Championships taking place in one region, this edition will be the largest cycling and para-cycling event ever organised.

Details of the 2027 World Cup

The 2027 UCI Road World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc will take place from 24 August to 5 September. France and Haute-Savoie will host the second edition of the combined UCI World Championships. Twenty UCI World Championships events will be held across 16 venues: Annecy, Châtel – Portes du Soleil, Cluses, Doussard, La Clusaz, La Roche-sur-Foron, Les Gets, Morillon – Grand Massif, Rumilly, Sallanches – Domancy – Pays du Mont-Blanc, Samoëns – Grand Massif, Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny, Thônes, Vétraz-Monthoux – Annemasse, Évian-les-Bains and the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

More than 15,000 athletes from the 206 UCI member federations are competing for 288 UCI world titles. The event showcases a wide range of cycling disciplines, including Olympic and Paralympic competitions. Less well-known disciplines and formats, which are also open to amateurs, will be given greater visibility. The event places gender equality and inclusion at the heart of its organisation. The 2027 World Championships aim to leave a lasting legacy and support the development of cycling, the cycling industry and year-round mountain tourism.