Val di Fassa Audi FIS Ski World Cup
With the Milan-Cortina Olympics now over, the spotlight turns to the La VolatA slope in the San Pellegrino ski area this weekend for a double Women's World Cup event: downhill and super-G
Since its debut in 2021, highlighted by Federica Brignone's home victories, to the 2024 edition, which saw the cancellation of two super-G races due to record snowfall but also praise from the FIS for flawless organisation, the Women's Alpine Skiing World Cup now returns to Val di Fassa with a prestigious new event. On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 March 2026, right after the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, the La VolatA slope in the San Pellegrino ski area (Moena) will host a downhill and a super-G, preceded, as per regulations, by two training days on 5 and 6 March.
Inaugurated in 2017, La VolatA has already staged Junior World Championships and European Cup races. Accessed via the Col Margherita cable car, its course combines fluid sections, speed, and technical passages. A compact, well-prepared snow surface ensures ideal conditions for fast races. For this edition, the course will feature slight modifications, including new jumps and markings to control speed in certain areas, as well as revised start points: the downhill will start at 2,510 metres, just outside the top station, while the super-G will start at 2,480 metres. Spectators will be able to enjoy the show both at the start and the finish.
Another important development: Val di Fassa, together with Soldeu, has been designated as a reserve venue for any races postponed in the early part of the season. This recognition confirms the FIS's trust in the Ladin resort and the quality of its organisation.
And then there's the symbolic date: 8 March, International Women's Day. Who will be crowned Queen of La VolatA on such a special day? Could it even be an all-Italian podium?
La VolatA - Col Margherita
- Name: the initials of Alberto Vendruscolo, a skiing pioneer in the area, are displayed at the start and finish
- Super-G: start 2,480 m; length 2,400 m; vertical drop 600 m; average gradient 28.4% (maximum 47%)
- Downhill: start 2,510 m (just below the "Lago Cavia-Col Margherita" chairlift top station); length 2,500 m; vertical drop 630 m; average gradient 28.4% (maximum 47%)
- Finish: San Pellegrino Pass, altitude 1,880 m
- Average race time: 1’20’’
- Exposure: south-east / north
- Highlights:
- "Alberto" wall: 190 m steep section with a slight right bend, crucial for picking up speed
- "Pian del Fabion" plateau: 200 m stretch where precious hundredths can be lost
- "Manfroi" wall: 280 m with a left turn
- "La Piana": 410 m of smooth skiing
- "Poeta" walls: 1,000 m of steep gradient, the most technical and demanding section
- Chamois Bump: the final 880 m to the finish line
Tickets & Information
Grandstand seats will be available online from mid-December. Prices: 20 € (full), 10 € (children up to 12 years).
Full details on the programme, side events, parking and shuttle services at https://skiworldcup.fassa.com
