2027 UCI Cycling World Championships – Haute-Savoie, France

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The 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships are coming to Haute-Savoie, France, from 24 August to 5 September 2027.

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For road cycling fans, the centrepiece will be the Elite road races in Sallanches and Domancy, on roads that have already written an important chapter in cycling history.

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I live in Domancy, adjacent to the 2027 road race course, and I've spent many years riding and working around the roads of Haute-Savoie.

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This page is my local guide to the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships, including the road race, Côte de Domancy, cycling in the region, accommodation, transport and planning your visit.

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I'll continue updating it as we get closer to the Championships.

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The 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships

The 2027 Championships will be the second edition of the combined UCI Cycling World Championships, following the first event in Glasgow and Scotland in 2023.

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From 24 August to 5 September 2027, Haute-Savoie will host an enormous programme of cycling, bringing together 20 UCI World Championships across 16 competition venues.

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The programme includes road, mountain bike, gravel, BMX, para-cycling and other cycling disciplines, with events taking place across Haute-Savoie as well as track events at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines near Paris. More than 15,000 athletes and around two million spectators are expected to be part of the event.

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For visitors, this means that the 2027 Worlds won't simply be a few days of road racing in Sallanches. It will be almost two weeks of cycling throughout the region and the Parisian Track.

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The 2027 UCI Road World Championships

The Elite road races will be centred on Sallanches and Domancy, with the start and finish in Sallanches.

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The route uses the famous Sallanches–Domancy circuit associated with the 1980 UCI World Championships, when French cycling legend Bernard Hinault became World Champion.

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The circuit is 13.3 kilometres long, with approximately 285 metres of elevation gain per lap. The defining climb is the Côte de Domancy.

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The men's Elite road race takes place on 29 August 2027, while the women's Elite road race will bring the Championships to a close on 5 September 2027. Click this link for the full schedule  There will be four days racing on the Sallaches-Domancy circuit including the Junior events.

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The 2027 Road Race in Numbers

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• 20 laps (Men's race. Women's and Junior distances not yet confirmed)

• 13.3 km per lap

• Approximately 266 km

• Approximately 5,700 m of climbing

• Côte de Domancy: 2.5 km

• Average gradient: 9.4%

• Maximum gradient: 16%

• Start and finish: Sallanches

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The repeated climbing is what makes this course so interesting.

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The Côte de Domancy isn't an exceptionally long Alpine climb, but riding it once is very different from riding it repeatedly after hundreds of kilometres of racing.

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By the closing laps, accumulated fatigue will completely change the character of the climb.

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The Côte de Domancy

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The Côte de Domancy is the defining feature of the 2027 road race.

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At 2.5 kilometres with an average gradient of 9.4% and sections reaching 16%, it is a short but brutally effective climb.

And I have a particular connection with it.

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I live in Domancy and ride these roads regularly. The 2027 World Championship start and finish area in Sallanches is only a short distance from the climb.

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For anyone visiting the Worlds, riding the Côte de Domancy yourself has to be near the top of the list.

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It is also a fascinating piece of cycling history.

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The 1980 World Championships

The return of the World Championships to Sallanches and Domancy in 2027 is particularly significant because this same area hosted the 1980 UCI Road World Championships.

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Bernard Hinault won the men's road race on the famously difficult Sallanches circuit.

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The 1980 race consisted of 20 laps, with the riders tackling the Côte de Domancy repeatedly. Only 14 riders finished, helping give the course its reputation as one of the toughest World Championship road races ever held.

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Today you can still see reminders of that history around Domancy and Sallanches.

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At the foot of the Côte de Domancy there is a cycling sculpture, while the climb itself was renamed Route Bernard Hinault following the Tour de France's visit to the area in 2016. In addition the placard proclaiming Hinault's win has now been re-located to the start of the climb. Originally it was at the point where Hinault attacked on the last lap.

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If you drive into the area from Geneva, you'll also find a statue of Hinault at the autoroute exit roundabout. 

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​Why 2027 Is Special for Haute-Savoie

Haute-Savoie is already one of the world's great cycling destinations, but the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships will put the region firmly on the international cycling map.

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The area has hosted numerous Tour de France and Critérium du Dauphiné stages and includes some of the most famous climbs in the French Alps.

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From a base around Sallanches and Domancy, cyclists can reach:

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• Col de la Colombière

• Col des Aravis

• Col de Romme

• Col de Joux Plane

• Col de la Ramaz

• Plateau de Solaison

• Col des Glières

• Megève

• Chamonix and the Mont Blanc valley

• Emosson Dam

 

The 2027 Worlds therefore offers an opportunity to combine watching the world's best riders with your own cycling adventure in the French Alps.

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Planning Your Visit to the 2027 Worlds

 

If you're travelling to Haute-Savoie for the World Championships, there is more to think about than simply getting to the roadside to watch the racing.

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Accommodation, airport transfers, bike transport, road closures, parking and local cycling routes will all become increasingly important as the event approaches.

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Because I live locally, I can help cyclists and groups understand the practical side of visiting the region.

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Cycling Trip Planning

Want to combine watching the Worlds with your own Alpine cycling?

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I can help you plan your cycling itinerary around the Championships, including routes, climbs, distances, logistics and realistic riding days.

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Whether you want to ride the Côte de Domancy, explore the Aravis, tackle Joux Plane or simply find some quieter local roads, I can help you make the most of your time here.

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Plan your French Alps cycling adventure → click here

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​Road & SAG Support

I also provide professional cycling road support and SAG vehicle services in the French Alps.

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For groups riding during the 2027 Worlds, support can include carrying spare wheels and equipment, providing food and drinks, meeting riders at agreed locations and assisting with mechanical or other problems during the ride.

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Find out more about French Alps Cycling Support → click here

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Geneva Airport & Bike Transfers

Haute-Savoie is easily accessible from Geneva Airport, making Geneva a natural arrival point for many international cyclists.

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I provide licensed transport for cyclists, bikes and luggage between Geneva Airport and destinations throughout the region.

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Find out more about airport and bike transfers → click here to our sister company ResortRides

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Where to Stay for the 2027 Worlds

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Choosing where to stay will depend on which events you want to watch and whether you also want to ride during your visit.

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For the road races, Sallanches, Domancy, Passy, Combloux and the wider Pays du Mont-Blanc area are particularly interesting locations.

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If you want to combine the Worlds with a wider Alpine cycling holiday, other bases around Haute-Savoie may also work well.

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Watching the 2027 Road Race

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The road race should provide some fantastic opportunities for spectators because the circuit format means riders will pass the same locations repeatedly.

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The Côte de Domancy is likely to be one of the obvious focal points, but the start and finish area in Sallanches will also provide a major concentration of spectators and event activity.

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As more information becomes available about spectator access, parking and road closures, I'll add it here.

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The 2027 Worlds Beyond the Road Race

 

The road races are only part of the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships.

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The wider programme will include events across Haute-Savoie, including:

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• Gravel at Châtel – Portes du Soleil

• Mountain bike at Les Gets

• Gran Fondo around Thônes and La Clusaz

• Time trials around Lake Annecy

• BMX events in Cluses

• Trial in Sallanches

• Esports in Évian

• Other cycling disciplines across the region

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The official programme now covers 20 UCI World Championships, making this much bigger than a traditional road World Championships week. Click here for the full schedule

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The Story Behind the 2027 Worlds

 

I've been following the story of the Haute-Savoie World Championships since the very beginning.

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This section keeps some of the original stories and information from when the 2027 bid was still being developed.

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2022: Haute-Savoie Announces Its World Championship Bid

On a cold Saturday in February 2022, Bernard Hinault returned to my home village of Domancy to announce that Haute-Savoie would be a candidate to host the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships.

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At the time, the proposal seemed to receive relatively little attention outside the region.

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I remember thinking that if the bid was successful, it would be a remarkable opportunity for the area and for anyone who loves cycling in the French Alps.

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Later that year, during the 2022 UCI World Championships in Australia, Haute-Savoie was officially confirmed as the host region for the 2027 Championships.

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I was lucky enough to be living here when the story began, and I'm still here as the event gets closer.

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2024: The Road Race Course Takes Shape

By 2024, local information indicated that the historic 1980 Sallanches–Domancy circuit was being lined up for the 2027 road races.

 

At that stage, the details had not yet been officially released, so I was careful to distinguish between local information and confirmed UCI information.

 

The eventual announcement confirmed what many of us locally had been expecting: the Côte de Domancy would once again be at the heart of a World Championship road race.

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2025: The Course Is Officially Confirmed​

 

In April 2025, the UCI officially unveiled the outline of the 2027 Championships and confirmed the Sallanches–Domancy road race circuit.

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The published circuit is 13.3 km long with 285 metres of elevation per lap, with the Côte de Domancy measuring 2.5 km at an average 9.4% gradient and reaching a maximum of 16%.

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This was the point at which the 2027 Worlds moved from an exciting local project to a very real event on the international cycling calendar.

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2025: The Wider 2027 Programme

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The 2027 Championships will be considerably larger than simply bringing the road World Championships back to Sallanches.

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The official programme now includes 20 World Championship disciplines, spread across Haute-Savoie and the National Velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

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For the region, this means almost two weeks of international cycling and a huge influx of athletes, teams, media and spectators.

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My Connection to the 2027 Worlds

This isn't an event I'm covering from hundreds of kilometres away.

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I live in Domancy.

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The roads used by the 2027 World Championships are roads I ride regularly, and I've been following the development of the event since the original bid was announced.

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I've also worked with cyclists, journalists and cycling groups visiting Haute-Savoie and have spent many years exploring the region by bike.

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That local knowledge is what I bring to BreatheBike.

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If you're travelling to Haute-Savoie for the Worlds and want advice that goes beyond a generic tourist guide, get in touch.

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Journalists, Media & Press Visits

I've already had the opportunity to help journalists visiting Haute-Savoie understand the cycling around the region.

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In 2022, freelance writer and cyclist Steve Wartenberg contacted me while planning a cycling trip to the Alps. We ended up riding the Col de la Colombière together, and he subsequently interviewed me for the Associated Press and wrote about the region for France Today.

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“He was a great source of info.”

Steve Wartenberg – Freelance writer & cyclist

September 2022

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If you're a journalist or content creator visiting Haute-Savoie to cover the 2027 Worlds, I'm happy to help with local cycling information and practical knowledge of the region.

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Videos: Cycling in the French Alps

I've been filming and riding around Haute-Savoie for years, and my Cycling in the Alps YouTube channel includes rides, climbs, events and guides from around the region.

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I'll continue adding videos relating to the 2027 Worlds as we get closer to the Championships.

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Watch Cycling in the Alps on YouTube → click here

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2027 UCI Worlds Updates

 

This page will continue to evolve as we get closer to the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships.

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I'll add practical information as it becomes available, including:

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• Event schedules

• Road closures

• Spectator information

• Parking

• Accommodation

• Transport

• Cycling routes

• Reconnaissance rides

• Local road information

• Cycling support

• Geneva Airport transfers

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If you're planning to visit Haute-Savoie for the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships, bookmark this page and check back regularly.

 

Planning Your 2027 Worlds Cycling Trip?

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Whether you're travelling alone, with a cycling group or as part of an organised trip, I can help you make the most of your time in the French Alps.

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From cycling trip planning and local advice to professional road support, bike transport and Geneva Airport transfers, BreatheBike can help with the practical side of your visit.

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Get in touch with Mike to discuss your 2027 Worlds plans.

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BreatheBike: Cycling in the French Alps

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Based in Domancy, Haute-Savoie, BreatheBike helps cyclists plan and enjoy cycling adventures in the French Alps.

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I specialise in cycling trip planning, local cycling advice and professional road support, with a particular focus on the roads and mountains around Haute-Savoie.

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The 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships will bring the world's cycling community to my doorstep.

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I'm looking forward to being part of it.

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