Alps Games 2030: speed skating towards the Netherlands, Vincent Roberti new GM… What to remember from the executive office

The executive board of the French Alps 2030 met on Monday and approved the appointment of Prefect Vincent Roberti as the general director.

Published on May 11, 2026 at 20:22. Reading time: 1 min.

The speed skating competitions are about to find their new home. The executive board of the French Alps 2030, gathered in Décines (Rhône) on Monday, made progress. For the speed ring, several options were considered. Due to the lack of suitable facilities in France, the organizing committee (Cojop) was deciding between Thialf in Heerenveen, Netherlands, and the Oval Lingotto in Turin, Italy. The Italian option was ultimately preferred over the Dutch one.

“The members of the Executive Board have given a mandate to the Cojop to enter into exclusive discussions with the Thialf site. The ongoing discussions must now continue to finalize the conditions for hosting the competitions as well as the governance and cooperation modalities,” the Cojop stated in a press release on Monday evening.

Another topic still under discussion is the men’s ice hockey tournament. Initially planned at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, the project was revised following the election of the new mayor Eric Ciotti, who campaigned for an alternative location. Two proposals have emerged: LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu (Rhône) and the Accor Arena in Paris. However, no information was disclosed regarding this after the day’s executive board meeting. The overall presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic competition sites is scheduled for the end of June, as per the calendar. Details such as the distribution of alpine skiing events and the location of the Paralympic site(s) still need to be determined.

The executive board also approved the appointment of Prefect Vincent Roberti as the general director, over two months after the departure of his predecessor Cyril Linette, following a disagreement with Cojop president Edgar Grospiron. The interim was held by Michel Cadot, former interministerial delegate for the 2024 Paris Games, and he will pass the baton to Vincent Roberti “during the month of June.”