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07 - 13 DEC 2026
07 - 13 DEC 2026
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The Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee (comprising representatives from the French Ski Federation, Le Grand-Bornand Town Council, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Haute-Savoie Department, Annecy Town Council and the Le Grand-Bornand Ski Club) gathered around the poster for the 2026 edition of the LaVita IBU Biathlon World Cup in Le Grand-Bornand.
© M. Dubost – Le Grand-Bornand Tourisme
As the host of the only French leg of the LaVita IBU Biathlon World Cup, Le Grand-Bornand – building on the success of seven previous editions since 2013 – is preparing to host this global event once again from 7 to 13 December 2026, as well as in 2028. These two major international events will take place in Le Grand-Bornand just as the town is preparing to host the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The decision to make Le Grand-Bornand a key venue for the forthcoming Olympic Games is a major vote of confidence from the International Olympic Committee, demonstrating the Haute-Savoie resort’s ability to organise major events on a national and international scale. With this latest edition, Le Grand-Bornand has established itself as an unmissable fixture on the international circuit. It offers the chance to see the talents of the French team shine on home soil, within the confines of the Sylvie Becaert International Stadium. This stadium is the only venue in France to hold an A licence awarded by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and to meet all international standards.
Beyond its technical specifications, the Grand-Bornand biathlon stadium stands out on the world circuit: it is the only World Cup venue to have integrated its facilities into the heart of the village, without resorting to the construction of a permanent stadium. This guarantees an atmosphere like no other, with up to 67,000 spectators expected at the Grand-Bornand venue – as was the case in 2024 and 2025 – to ‘cheer, celebrate, support and share’ in the unique excitement of this French leg, which is unanimously hailed as the most popular and joyful on the circuit.
– 8 weeks of set-up, 6 weeks of dismantling
– 4 days
– 6 events
– 260 athletes
– 31 nations
– 67,000 spectators
– 3,243 school pupils welcomed (684 primary school pupils, 2,053 lower secondary school pupils, 506 upper secondary school pupils)
– 300 officials and technicians
– 30 podium finishes
achieved by the French Biathlon Team across seven editions held at Le Grand-Bornand
– 980 volunteers essential to the event’s success!
– 125 million television viewers across the 2025 season in 45 countries
– 63,000 passengers transported by shuttle buses from the valley floor and by ski buses within the resort to minimise traffic and reduce the environmental footprint
As in 2025, Le Grand-Bornand will host a spectacular programme featuring three different race formats: an individual time trial, a pursuit and a mass start race – three individual competitions that, day after day, will determine the world’s best biathletes:
– Thursday 10 December – 2.15 pm: Women’s sprint
– Friday 11 December – 2.15 pm: Men’s sprint
– Saturday 12 December – 12.15 pm: Women’s pursuit / 2.45 pm: Men’s Pursuit
– Sunday 13 December – 12.15 pm: Women’s Mass Start / 2.45 pm: Men’s Mass Start
“This adventure would be impossible without the strong involvement of the Haute-Savoie Department and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region,” emphasise the chair and the founding members of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee. In addition to the financial support provided by these two major institutional partners of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee, more than 500 sixth-formers will be invited by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and 2,000 secondary school pupils by the Department of Haute-Savoie, with the aim of instilling in them the values of sport, but also to encourage them to take up winter sports.
Through their strengthened and expanded commitment, the Department of Haute-Savoie and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region are stepping up their involvement and becoming full members of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee and its executive committee, marking a major development in governance.
Alongside them, the City of Annecy is continuing its commitment and retaining its seat on the executive committee, thereby maintaining this regional anchorage and the unwavering geographical and cultural link between Annecy and the Aravis.
The Communauté de Communes des Vallées de Thônes (CCVT) is also stepping up its contribution as an institutional partner, as well as providing funding and supporting public transport for spectators via the Ski-Bus routes.
“Hosting a Biathlon World Cup in the heart of our village remains, with every edition, an exceptional occasion. Le Grand-Bornand is a unique venue on the world circuit: a temporary stadium, a unique closeness between the athletes and the public, and that enthusiasm which is our hallmark. An enthusiasm that takes on a special significance when the French team is competing on home soil. This success is down to a fantastic team effort: our staff, our volunteers and our partners. With four years to go until the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this latest edition naturally has a special flavour and is already allowing us to look ahead to that major event.”
Hélène Favre Bonvin
Mayor of Le Grand-Bornand
Chair of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee
“The 2025/2026 season will go down in the history of French biathlon, marked by the exceptional performances of our athletes in the World Cup and at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. Le Grand-Bornand holds a special place in our athletes’ hearts during the season, and they will be keen to perform well in front of a French home crowd with the 2030 French Alps Games just a few years away. I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the organisers, local authorities, partners and volunteers who make this event an unmissable highlight. Have a great season!”
Fabien Saguez
President of the French Ski Federation
Member of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee
“It is a source of pride for our region to host the only French leg of the Biathlon World Cup. Held in Le Grand-Bornand for several years now, this event has firmly established the resort as one of the major venues on the global biathlon calendar. Le Grand-Bornand will also host this discipline during the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, once again confirming its ability to organise leading international sporting competitions. True to its identity and its commitment to this discipline, the Region will once again be fully on board, with even greater support this year. We are proud to join the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee and to play a full part in this initiative.”
Fabrice Pannekoucke
President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region
Member of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee
“Le Grand-Bornand is once again at the heart of top-level sporting events. From 7 to 13 December 2026, this unique stage of the Biathlon World Cup in France will showcase our region’s expertise in hosting major international sporting events. Together with the departmental councillors, we are proud to enable our secondary school pupils to take part and to support this wonderful, popular event, which puts Haute-Savoie on the map far beyond our borders, at the official venue for the biathlon competitions of the Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “In December, the whole of Haute-Savoie will be buzzing with the excitement of biathlon!”
Martial Saddier
President of the Department of Haute-Savoie
Member of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee
“Annecy has a long history of biathlon. It was essential to make a clear decision. We have chosen to remain partners of the Grand-Bornand World Cup, alongside the region’s partners. We also want to support its transformation: preserving this much-anticipated event whilst accelerating its transition, with 2030 as our target.”
Antoine Armand
Mayor of Annecy and President of the Greater Annecy Urban Community
Member of the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee
The involvement of the Haute-Savoie Department and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region in the event’s governance has encouraged the Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon Organising Committee to undertake a rebranding of the event, highlighting what sets it apart and makes it a force to be reckoned with on the world circuit: a collective and popular enthusiasm unlike any other, coupled with a level of organisation that is consistently held up as a model for this great French celebration of world biathlon.
To establish the Grand-Bornand leg as the undisputed French highlight of the world biathlon calendar and to bring biathlon to life at the heart of a vibrant and sustainable alpine village, a new slogan has been unveiled, reflecting the event’s unique character – vibrant, warm, demanding and committed: ‘This is where the heart of biathlon beats!’.
This identity is accompanied by a new visual identity, with the poster for the 2026 edition – unveiled yesterday by the event’s organisers – serving as a striking first illustration. It features the French leaders in the sport, Lou Jeanmonnot and Eric Perrot, depicted in a cinematic style, alongside local pride and joy Sophie Chauveau from Le Grand-Bornand.
Tickets are due to go on sale on Monday 5 October at 10.00 am (4-day passes + single-day tickets).
Among the new features announced yesterday is the option – which is strongly recommended – to purchase a stadium access and transport package.
In partnership with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Ecomobilité Savoie Mont-Blanc agency, SNCF TER, Proxim iTi and the Organising Committee, a simple, practical and socially responsible solution is now available to take you directly to the gates of the biathlon stadium, by purchasing your World Cup ticket and your return ticket for the special World Cup shuttle buses departing from Annecy, Thônes, Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny and Glières-Val-de-Borne.
In addition to the significant financial contributions from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the Organising Committee to provide this service – which has been expanded and improved with each edition – users will be asked to pay a nominal transport contribution of €3 (return journey), which is included in the package.
Connections will be guaranteed with TER and Léman Express trains at Annecy and Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny stations, and park-and-ride facilities will continue to be provided at Thônes and Glières-Val-de-Borne.
Tickets are available online and at the ticket office only. No telephone sales.
