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From One Finish Line to Two: The Story Behind Ironman's Kona and Nice World Championships
For forty-four years, every Ironman World Championship ended on Ali'i Drive in Kailua-Kona. Then in 2023, Nice hosted the men's professional race for the first time. How the sport's most iconic event ended up with two World Championship venues — and what that means for the athletes trying to get to either one.
By ZealZag TeamIsère and the Dauphiné: Cycling the Range Between Grenoble and the Alps
The Dauphiné is the region that gave the stage race its name — and it earns that association. Practical guide to cycling the Vercors plateau, the Chartreuse massif, and the col roads that lead into the Alps from Grenoble, for athletes arriving around the French nationals or building an Alpine cycling trip.
By ZealZag TeamFrench Nationals TT: Armirail Completes a Hat-Trick in Isère, Road Race Awaits
Bruno Armirail claimed his third French national time trial title in four years on the 29.7-kilometre course in La Tour-du-Pin, while the elite road races — the jerseys that matter for grand tours — run on Saturday and Sunday. This is what the champion's band looks like on a WorldTour peloton.
By ZealZag TeamCortina d'Ampezzo: Running the Dolomites Before and After Lavaredo
A destination guide for trail runners arriving in Cortina d'Ampezzo for the Lavaredo Ultra Trail — or coming to run the same terrain on their own schedule. Where to base, what to run, how to get there, and what the Dolomites ask of visitors who want to move through them rather than look at them.
By ZealZag TeamTrail, Enduro, or XC: What the Three Mountain Bike Categories Actually Mean for Real Riders
Mountain bike categories have blurred as every segment adopted the geometry trends of the one below it. A 2025 trail bike has the numbers that a 2018 enduro bike had. Here is what the categories actually mean, where the lines sit, and — more usefully — which one you probably need.
By ZealZag TeamLavaredo Ultra Trail 2026: The 50K Runs, the 120K Loads the Start Line at Midnight
Two races in one day in the Dolomites: the 50K is already out on the course as this is filed, and at 23:00 tonight the 120K field — 120 kilometres, 5,800 metres of gain — rolls from Cortina to reach the Tre Cime di Lavaredo at dawn.
By ZealZag TeamThe Dolomites for Road Cyclists: Italy's Greatest Training Ground, Pass by Pass
The Dolomites pack more significant cycling passes into a driveable area than anywhere else in the Alps. Stelvio, Giau, Pordoi, Fedaia, Mortirolo — these are not interchangeable. Here is what each climb actually demands, when to go, and how to build a week in the mountains without wasting days on logistics.
By ZealZag TeamNational Championships Week 2026: Europe Races for the Jersey Before the Tour
The last weekend of June is national championships week — the one race each year where trade teams dissolve and riders race for their country's jersey. It is the final form check before the Tour de France Grand Départ in Barcelona, and the new champions will wear their national colours for the next twelve months.
By ZealZag TeamRace the Route: IRONMAN France Nice — Promenade des Anglais to the Col de Vence
A 3.8km Mediterranean swim, a 180km bike leg into the climbs behind the Côte d'Azur, and a four-lap seafront marathon. The complete guide to IRONMAN France Nice and training on the Riviera: the course, the Alpes-Maritimes cols, the swim conditions, travel, and where to base in Nice.
By ZealZag TeamIRONMAN France Nice 2026: Race Week on the Côte d'Azur
Race week has arrived in Nice. On Sunday, athletes swim 3.8km in the Mediterranean off the Promenade des Anglais, climb 180km into the Alpes-Maritimes backcountry, and run a four-lap marathon along the seafront. The expo is open, the bikes are being built, and the Baie des Anges is doing its job.
By ZealZag TeamRace the Route: Marathon du Mont-Blanc and the Chamonix Trail Festival
The most famous trail valley in the Alps hosts its festival this weekend, but the Chamonix balcony trails are open all summer. Complete guide to the Marathon du Mont-Blanc and running Chamonix: the five festival distances, the balcony routes, the lift system, gear, travel, and where to base beneath Mont Blanc.
By ZealZag TeamMarathon du Mont-Blanc 2026: The 90K Opens Chamonix's Trail Festival
The Marathon du Mont-Blanc festival is underway in Chamonix — five races across four days beneath the highest summit in the Alps. The 90K flagship circles the valley's high balconies, the marathon climbs to Flégère on Sunday, and the whole town has turned over to trail running for the weekend.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Aragonese Pyrenees: Jaca, Somport, and the Quiet Side of the Mountains
The Aragonese Pyrenees run between the Basque cycling heartland to the west and the Catalan mountains to the east — and carry none of their traffic. A practical guide to cycling the Puerto de Somport, Portalet, and the Hecho and Ansó valleys from Sabiñánigo and Jaca.
By ZealZag TeamSpanish Road Nationals TT: Racing for the Stripes in the Pyrenees Foothills
The Spanish road cycling national championships open their time trial day in Sabiñánigo — where the Hoya de Huesca meets the Aragonese Pyrenees, and riders compete for the red-and-yellow national jersey worn for a full season on the WorldTour.
By ZealZag TeamRacing Open Water for the First Time: Technique, Tactics, and What to Expect on Race Day
The pool does not prepare you for the mass start, the sighting, the current, or the cold shock of open water racing. None of these require exceptional fitness to manage — they require specific preparation. Here is what that preparation looks like, and what to expect when you get to the start line.
By ZealZag TeamTarifa: What Europe's Wind Capital Actually Offers Wingfoilers
Tarifa sits at the southern tip of Spain where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and two reliable wind systems — the Levante and the Poniente — have made it the go-to destination for wind sports athletes in Europe for four decades. Here is what visiting to wingfoil actually involves: the spots, the winds, the seasons, and the logistics.
By ZealZag TeamRace the Route: Val di Fassa and the Fassa Bike District, Trentino
The Dolomites' leading mountain bike destination hosts the UCI Enduro World Cup this weekend. The Fassa Bike District's trails are open to riders year-round. Complete guide to riding Val di Fassa: the Titans trail, TuttiFrutti, cable car access, best season, and where to base in Canazei.
By ZealZag TeamUCI Enduro World Cup Val di Fassa 2026: 500 Riders, Seven Stages, Two Days in the Dolomites
The UCI Enduro World Cup returns to Val di Fassa in the Trentino Dolomites — 59.58km of stages across two race days, famous trails including Titans and TuttiFrutti, 500 athletes from the World Cup and Open fields. Practice opens Thursday. Racing starts Saturday.
By ZealZag TeamWestern States 100: Running Olympic Valley to Auburn on the World's Most Famous Trail
One hundred miles from the Tahoe basin to the California Gold Rush foothills. A practical guide to the Western States 100 course — the high Sierra traverse, the American River canyons, Foresthill at mile 62, and the Placer High School track finish in Auburn — for athletes who want to run this race, crew it, or understand it.
By ZealZag TeamWestern States 100 in Three Days: Walmsley, Lichter, and the Deepest Field the Race Has Seen
The 2026 Western States 100 starts at dawn on Saturday, June 27, from Palisades Tahoe. The elite field assembles in Olympic Valley this week — Jim Walmsley chasing a fifth win, Jennifer Lichter entering as the women's favorite with a course-record Black Canyon performance behind her, and Molly Seidel making her ultra debut on the most demanding 100-mile course in North America.
By ZealZag Team
The Quiet Pull of the Mountains
At 1,000 meters above sea level, Xenia found more than trails to explore — she found a place to call home.
By ZealZag TeamRace the Route: Lavaredo 120K Through the UNESCO Dolomites
120km. 5,800m of gain. A night start from Cortina d'Ampezzo and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo at 3 a.m. The definitive guide to planning and running the La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail — entry, route, gear, travel, and why this is one of the most spectacular ultras in the UTMB World Series.
By ZealZag TeamLavaredo Ultra Trail 2026: The Dolomites Open Their Race Week in Cortina
The Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB opens today in Cortina d'Ampezzo — 2,200 runners across five distances, UNESCO-listed Dolomites terrain, and the 120K flagship launching Friday night from Corso Italia. The race week has begun.
By ZealZag TeamEast of Saquarema: Rio de Janeiro State's Winter Surf Road Trip
The WSL comes to Saquarema for one week each year. The coast east of Itaúna — Arraial do Cabo, Cabo Frio, Búzios — runs for another 80 kilometres and offers a range of surf environments worth extending a Brazil trip around. Practical guide to the road, the breaks, and what to do when the WSL packs up and the swell keeps coming.
By ZealZag Team