A weekend at Roc d’Azur CIC

The 40th edition of the Roc d’Azur CIC took place from October 9 to 13, on the site of the François Léotard Nature Base in Fréjus. Like every year, several tens of thousands of participants and spectators gathered for the first world MTB event. Beyond the now legendary competitions and the events, a show brings together the main players in the world of Cycling.

For 5 days, more than 20,000 participants let off steam on the Roc d’Azur CIC: by taking the start of a competition or a hike. In addition to cross-country mountain biking inherent in the event, other disciplines have a place. Enduro, trial, gravel, road, running or triathlon are all possibilities to express yourself during the event. As a highlight, on Sunday, the 40th edition of the original format: the Roc d’Azur CIC, its atmosphere and its emblematic places spread over 55.1 kilometers. 100,000 spectators and 300 exhibitors met at the activities offered on the stands of the organization’s partners.

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Among them, a new addition made its debut this year: CIC. The bank is already a partner of the XCO / DH / Enduro MTB World Cup rounds which take place on French territory. It supports cycling in all its forms, on the road, the track and in cyclo-cross. CIC is a major partner of the French Cycling Federation and the continental team CIC U Nantes Atlantique, supports a large number of organizations: the Tour de l’Avenir, the 4 days of Dunkirk, the 4 days CIC of Plouay, various Championships, … Furthermore, assistance is provided to a selection of athletes as part of the Performance Pact.

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Every year, the Roc d’Azur CIC Village is the scene of activities orchestrated by the various partners, on or beyond their respective spaces. Signing sessions once again allowed headliners from all disciplines to interact with the public and their fans: from Olympic Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to Enduro World Champion and recently retired Isabeau Courdurier.

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In the CIC area, athletes who are regular members of the French Teams took turns, while other stars of the master discipline of the Roc d’Azur CIC – cross-country – walked the paths of the Village. The show open to all is also an opportunity for the main brands in the cycling sector to display their new products and products to outdoor sports practitioners, at the conclusion of the 2024 sporting season.

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The atmosphere remained good at the Roc d’Azur CIC, also made possible by guaranteed summer weather in the last days of this festival. The entertainment followed one after the other, with demonstrations of trial, freerunning and dirt jumping. We promise, no injuries have been reported among the volunteer spectators! The infernal CIC climb, tested and validated by Thomas Voeckler, made it possible to reproduce an intense mountain bike effort. The best time? A certain Axel Zingle.

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On the sporting side, on Sunday, all eyes were focused on the historic format, the one that gives its name to the entire event. Supervised by its 1,500 volunteers, the event allows regular and passionate riders to compete with the best French cross-country mountain bike specialists, over a 55.1 kilometer event covered online. Some celebrities from cycling sport complete the start list, like the winner of Paris-Roubaix 2022, Dylan van Baarle.

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The Roc d’Azur CIC course is punctuated with sections that will thrill any mountain bike enthusiast, such as the descent of Fournel or the Col du Bougnon where we chose to experience the race. This impressive and super steep climb is an open-air stadium, where two rows of spectators (in CIC bobsleds) move aside as the heroes of the day pass. At this time, the leader of the Roc d’Azur CIC is Mathis Azzaro, pursued by the French Champion Jordan Sarrou.

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A well-known face but without a bib, Axel Zingle

Mathis Azzaro is in good shape at the end of the season. After a year marked by his non-selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, he mobilized again. He returned from Canada with a second place in the final round of the World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne. However, the French driver cramped and broke down in the final moments. Like last year, he had to settle for second place.

“I didn’t expect it, I was more than a minute and thirty seconds late in the middle of the race” – Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC)

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Already a record holder for victories in the event with 4 successes (2014, 2016, 2019 and 2022), French Champion Jordan Sarrou once again wins the Roc d’Azur CIC. The podium is completed by Joshua Dubau. On the women’s side, another athlete wrote history: Émeline Detilleux is the first Belgian to register her name on the Roc d’Azur CIC prize list. She is ahead of Sandra Mairhofer and Greta Seiwald for an international podium.

“I am honored to be the first Belgian to win here. This is the biggest MTB event in the world, under the sun and with a superb course” – Émeline Detilleux (Decathlon Ford Racing Team).

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At the finish, we find familiar faces: Miguel Martinez, winner for the first time 20 years ago or Maël Guégan, professional driver at CIC U Nantes Atlantique. Once the podiums have passed, the events are back in full swing. The demonstrations follow one another to the rhythm of the waves of competitors who cross the finish line again late in the afternoon. An appointment is finally made in 2025, for the 41st edition, from October 8 to 12.