Alps Games 2030: Speed Skating to the Netherlands, Vincent Roberti New CEO… What to Remember from the Executive Board

The executive board of the French Alps 2030, meeting on Monday, approved the appointment of Prefect Vincent Roberti as general manager. Published on: May 11, 2026 20:22 Reading Time: 1min

Image description: View of the Thialf Speed Skating Ring in Heerenven, Netherlands, on December 5, 2025. (Laure Gamaury / franceinfo: sport)

Speed skating events are on the verge of finding their home. The executive board of the French Alps 2030, meeting in Décines (Rhône) on Monday, May 11, made progress. For the speed skating ring, several options were considered. Due to the lack of suitable facilities in France, the organizing committee (Cojop) was considering the Thialf in Heerenveen, Netherlands, and the Lingotto Oval in Turin, Italy. The first choice eventually favored the Italian option.

“The members of the Executive Board have mandated 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 arrangements,” the Cojop stated in a release sent 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 the stadium not to be the venue for the men’s event. Two proposals emerged: the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu (Rhône) and the Accor Arena in Paris. However, after the executive board meeting, no information has surfaced on this issue. The only indication given was, “the overall presentation [of the Olympic and Paralympic competition sites] is scheduled for the Executive Board at the end of June,” according to the calendar. Specifics still need to be determined, such as the allocation of alpine skiing events or the location(s) of the Paralympic site(s).

The executive board also approved the appointment of Prefect Vincent Roberti as general manager, more than two months after his predecessor Cyril Linette left, in disagreement with the Cojop president, Edgar Grospiron. Since early March, the interim has been led by Michel Cadot, former interministerial delegate for the 2024 Paris Games, who will pass the torch to Vincent Roberti “during the month of June.”