2026 ROC D’AZUR CIC
Key figures :
Sixth victory for Jordan Sarrou at the Roc d’Azur CIC. Samara Maxwell took the women’s title ahead of France’s Léna Gérault
The phenomenal Paul Seixas at the Roc d’Azur CIC following his victory in the Tour of Lombardy. Bruno Armirail was also in attendance
The flagship Roc d’Azur CIC race (55 km, 1,275 m of climbing) always draws a large crowd on Sunday. This year, though, the Seixas effect brought out even more spectators. The mountain bike specialists stayed focused on the race, with no shortage of contenders for the win. Last year’s Italian winners could not repeat their success. Despite feeling below his best after an intense spell in the United States, France’s Jordan Sarrou was determined to leave an even greater mark on the Roc d’Azur CIC.
After an hour of racing, two Italians led the way: Davide Foccoli, winner of Friday’s Roc Marathon by Škoda, and last year’s winner Jakob Dorigini. Further back, at the iconic Col du Bougnon, Canadian Cole Punchard, third at the Cross-country World Championships, was setting the pace ahead of Sarrou and fellow Frenchman Joshua Dubau. Punchard, 22, was discovering the course and did everything he could to stay with Sarrou, whose experience and intimate knowledge of the route proved invaluable.
Two years after his previous Roc victory, the 33-year-old Frenchman won the sprint at the Base Nature in Fréjus, finishing in 2:18:26. “I had some concerns, but it worked out. It was a very tactical race today, and I struggled to make the difference. I held back a little on the descents to avoid a puncture. At the Bougnon, the atmosphere was magical with the crowd, and the conditions were ideal. Cole was strong and I was on the limit. I raced smart. He started his sprint a little early and I took advantage. It’s fantastic,” said Jordan Sarrou.
He now has six Roc d’Azur CIC victories, an impressive record that will be hard to beat. Norway’s Osten Brovold Midtsunstad completed the podium in 2:18:35, ahead of Davide Foccoli and Jakob Dorigini. French riders Joshua Dubau (sixth) and Jules Rossel (seventh) also finished in the top 10.
In the women’s race, Friday’s protagonists were back in the spotlight on Sunday. New Zealand’s Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), third in the Roc Marathon by Škoda, proved the strongest and took an impressive win in 2:42:44. “I had so much fun. The crowd was wild. It was like a World Cup round: you have to give it everything. I didn’t go all out on Friday because I wanted to save some energy. This is a huge event, and winning here is special. Yesterday, we celebrated Paul Seixas’s victory at the Tour of Lombardy. When I saw he was here this morning, I thought, ‘Wow!’” said Maxwell.
France’s Léna Gérault (2:44:40), Friday’s winner, took second place to round off an excellent week. “There were only three or four of us left after the Fournel. Samara put on a show on the Col du Bougnon and made the difference. It was a great weekend,” she said. Italy’s Ramona Forchini (2:45:19) finished third.
A name that resonates and draws a crowd. Paul Seixas made his Roc d’Azur CIC (55 km) debut on Sunday 11 October, and his timing could hardly have been better. Having won his first Monument at the Tour of Lombardy the day before, the 20-year-old Frenchman took to the trails of the Var for a relaxed end to a remarkable season. The fourth-place finisher in the most recent Tour de France made his decision at the last minute and could hardly have imagined a better way to round off his year than riding the Roc d’Azur CIC, with its breathtaking landscapes between land and sea.
On the course, the Decathlon CMA CGM rider was the day’s main attraction. He said he was there to “have fun and enjoy the day”, having “recovered pretty well”. Paul Seixas enjoyed himself while taking care. “At the start, I kept up for as long as I could. I didn’t want to get in the way of the guys who were racing. On the first descent, I realised I couldn’t match their technical pace, so I moved aside and rode with Bruno (Armirail). I had a great bike, so it was a real pleasure. But I hadn’t ridden a mountain bike for a year, so I’m not quite cut out for it yet. If I come back, I’ll be better prepared,” he joked after crossing the finish line.
Bruno Armirail, coming off an exhausting run of races at the World Championships, European Championships and Tour of Lombardy, had a similar approach. “It’s always a pleasure to come here. I have quite a few friends in the area. We’re still professional riders, so we pushed on the climbs, but the aim wasn’t to break anything,” explained the Visma-Lease a Bike rider and European time trial silver medallist, who had previously taken part in the event as a junior.
Beyond the flagship race, the final day of the Roc also featured several trail races, including a marathon distance (42K) through the Massif des Maures. Jolan Lopez and Gabriela Brien won the Roc Trail 14K, while Guillaume Carrière and Héloïse Guerin claimed victory in the Roc Trail 25K. Walkers also had their time on the trails, with three hikes (6K, 11K and 16K) in Roquebrune-sur-Argens. Some of the most determined cyclists covered 178.6 km in the Ekoï Cyclo Roc 180K, the event’s longest race.
