Ducati has always been obsessed with competition. It’s kind of their whole thing. From dominating on the MotoGP and World Superbike grids, to going all in on off road and motocross, and now even pushing hard into high end performance cycling, the brand doesn’t really know how to show up unless winning is part of the plan. It sounds wild, but it also tracks perfectly with how Ducati’s always operated.
That competitive mindset just showed up in a very different setting, with two of its off road riders playing key roles in the Olympic torch relay for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The interesting thing here is how grounded the whole thing looks. There were no bikes, no engines, no spectacles present beyond the moment itself. Just elite racers doing something symbolic, on foot and in front of massive crowds. Alessandro Lupino kicked things off in Rome, becoming one of the first torchbearers after departing the CONI building with the Olympic flame.
