Downhill 2025: Aprica and Madesimo protagonists with the IXS European Cup and the Italian Championship.

2025 promises to be an extraordinary year for Italian and Lombard Downhill, with two unmissable events: the IXS European Cup in Aprica and the Italian Championship in Madesimo. Two events of great importance, which not only celebrate the sport at high levels, but also promote the territory, youth participation and social inclusion. Let's see in detail everything that was presented at Milano the 17 January 2025.

The official presentation of the major Downhill events

The regional undersecretary with responsibility for Sport and Youth, Federica Peaks, and the Regional Councillor for Local Authorities, Mountains and Water Resources, Massimo Sertori, have presented the key events of the next Downhill sports season in Lombardy. The IXS European Cup will take place in Aprica from 27 to 29 June, in conjunction with the third round of the Coppa Italia and the Trofeo Regione Lombardia. Following this, on 19 and 20 July, it will be the turn of Madesimo, which will host the Italian Championship in a single trial, with the awarding of the prestigious tricolour shirts.

The presentation was also attended by Riccardo Tagliabue, responsible for Downhill Italy, the mayors of the two host locations, Dario Crows (Aprica) and Daniela Pilatti (Madesimo), the Lombardy regional councilor Riccardo Pase and the president of the association Robin's Boys, Melania Scocco.

The words of the protagonists: enthusiasm and projects

“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. “Downhill 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 Downhill Championship, 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 back as 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. Just think 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 the attendance and the tourist offer”.

The charm of Downhill: adrenaline and spectacle

Riccardo Tagliabue, head of Downhill Italia, explained the growing success of this discipline"Downhill is one of the most extreme categories of off-road cycling, in which athletes descend at full speed along technical and spectacular tracks, challenging the clock just like in Alpine skiing. In recent years, the number of FCI members and amateur practitioners has grown exponentially, in some areas even surpassing road sports.”

 

Riccardo Tagliabue, continues: “Among the sports disciplines that have recorded incredible numbers in recent years is 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, following 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 Italy, today, almost all the mountain resorts are equipped with Downhill tracks to meet the ever-increasing demand of 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 – Tagliabue continues – our Monza Sports Association 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 renew its “Magnolta” track with a special track, which will remain accessible to all enthusiasts until September, when the Regional Championship will take place that will conclude the season.

The IXS European Cupp race will be accompanied by the third round of the Coppa Italia and the Trofeo Regione Lombardia, both events of national importance that will contribute to making the entire weekend an unmissable event.

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. For this reasonall the great champions of our discipline are expected, starting with Davide Cappello from Valtellina, already champion in 2022".

“For Aprica this is a debut at these levels – Mayor Corvi said -. We are working at our best, with the renewal of a track that will be the first piece of a series of interventions contained 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 in the coming years”. “The riders and athletes who have frequented Madesimo in recent years – Mayor Pilatti explained – they really appreciated our adrenaline-filled tracks. This allowed us to stand out even more among fans of this sport. We are working to trace new tracks and lengthen the tracks to make our location even more inviting for fans of this extreme sport and to see us as protagonists also in hosting new competitions”.

“The involvement of Robin's boys in this beautiful initiative – adds Councillor 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 Association i Ragazzi di Robin, born in 2018 and which gathers kids with disabilities, coming from all over Lombardy and Brianza – We accepted with great enthusiasm, aware that for our kids this could be an opportunity to live something extraordinary and new, experiences that for them will also be a reason for growth. 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”.

Madesimo: Capital of the Italian Downhill Championship 2025

The Italian Downhill Championship, which will take place on July 19 and 20 in Madesimo, represents the most important event of the season for the Italian riders. The best athletes on the national scene will compete on the “Valle delle Streghe” track, including the Valtellina native David Cappello, already Italian champion in 2022.

Daniela Pilatti, mayor of Madesimo, confirmed the town's commitment: "The riders who frequent Madesimo really appreciate our adrenaline-filled trails. We are working to lengthen the routes and create new ones, in order to make our town even more inviting for fans of this extreme sport."

Inclusion and Sport: Robin's Boys

Another key aspect of the event will be the participation of the association I Ragazzi di Robin, which will give a special contribution by making photo and video reports during the races.

“This experience represents an extraordinary opportunity for growth for our kids,” said Melania Scocco, president of the association. “Through their shots, we will be able to see Downhill from a unique and authentic point of view. Who knows, maybe among them there is also a future sports photographer!”

A 2025 of great emotions

The appointment with the IXS European Cup of Downhill 2025 is therefore set for the weekend of 27-29 June in Aprica, followed by the Italian Championship on 19-20 July in Madesimo.

Two extraordinary events that, in addition to the sporting spectacle, will enhance the Lombardy region, attract tourists and enthusiasts and promote the values ​​of inclusion, respect and passion for sport.

All that's left to do is get ready to experience a summer full of adrenaline and the beauty of the Lombard mountains!