Ducati Riders Carry Olympic Torch as Brand Expands Into High-Performance Bicycles 

Ducati Off-Road riders Alessandro Lupino and Antonio Cairoli protagonists of the Olympic torch relay.

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Ducati off-road riders Alessandro Lupino and Antonio Cairoli were given the honour of serving as Olympic torchbearers, alternating along the official relay route as the Olympic flame made its journey across Italy. 

Lupino, an eight-time Italian Motocross Champion and 2025 MX2 Italian Championship runner-up aboard the Desmo250 MX, opened the relay by departing from the CONI headquarters carrying the lit torch. The flame then travelled a total of 12,000 kilometres over nine days before reaching Palermo, as part of a nationwide relay involving 10,000 torchbearers.

The torch was later handed to nine-time Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli in Sicily. Cairoli concluded the tenth day of the relay by lighting the Olympic cauldron in front of Palermo’s Politeama Theatre, drawing applause from a large crowd of spectators. The event marked the return of the Olympic flame to Italy, 20 years after the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics.

Alongside its presence in the Olympic celebrations, Ducati has also announced a major new initiative aimed at expanding its footprint in the cycling world. The Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer revealed plans to develop, produce, and distribute a new and broader range of high-performance bicycles, strengthening a path first taken in 2018 when Ducati entered the e-bike segment.

The new cycling project is being developed in collaboration with Diamant S.r.l., part of Italy’s Gruppo Zecchetto. The group brings together several established cycling brands, including DMT in footwear, Alè Cycling in technical apparel, and Diamant Compositi in carbon and composite component manufacturing.

Ducati’s upcoming bicycle range will include road bikes, gravel bikes, and pedal-assist mountain bikes. The first models are scheduled to be unveiled starting March 2026. In addition to bicycles, the project will also introduce a dedicated line of accessories and technical apparel designed specifically for each riding discipline, all reflecting Ducati’s design, performance, and premium positioning.

Development of the new range will be supported by several prominent figures from Italian cycling. Among them is Elia Viviani, one of Italy’s most successful sprinters, who has achieved over 90 professional road victories and won Olympic gold on the track at Rio 2016. Recently, Viviani also claimed the world title in the elimination race in Santiago 2025.  After all, Viviani will act as project consultant, overseeing all phases of development.

“After concluding my professional career, I was looking for a project that could excite me and represent a new challenge. Supporting the Cycling Project is a great source of pride for me. The long-term goal is to bring Ducati’s sporting soul into cycling, creating bicycles that embody the brand’s values and the essence of the sport,” Viviani said.

Joining him is Vincenzo Nibali, one of the most accomplished cyclists of the modern era and one of the few riders to have won all three Grand Tours. Nibali will support the development of Ducati’s road bike range and related sporting initiatives.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this ambitious project. Ducati has always been a benchmark for performance, innovation, and design. Contributing to the growth of such an iconic brand in the cycling world is truly an honour,” Nibali said.

For the off-road segment, Ducati will collaborate with multiple athletes, including Lorenzo Suding, a multiple-time Italian downhill champion, who will contribute to the development of the brand’s pedal-assist mountain bike range.

Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali said the project represents a significant step forward for the company’s cycling ambitions: “With this new project, we aim to strengthen our presence in the cycling sector,” Domenicali said. “The collaboration with Diamant, together with the contribution of Italian cycling champions such as Vincenzo Nibali, Elia Viviani, and Lorenzo Suding, allows us to develop high-performance bicycles designed to offer enthusiasts a level of quality and excitement comparable to that of our motorcycles,” he added.