Grand Prix La Marseillaise 2025: course, committed and favorite

As every year, it is the Marseille La Marseillaise Cycling Grand Prix which will be the first meeting on the French calendar in 2025. See you on February 2 to designate the new winner!

The La Marseillaise 2024 prize is an opportunity for runners to find competition, refine their preparation, wear their new color or new jersey. The route, wild and accident, award of offensive runners, even if The legend stipulates that winning this race would be bad and that the winner would be condemned to a “bad” season.

It’s back to school for runners! The Marseillaise traditionally marks the opening of the European season.

Created in 1980 and simply called La Marseillaise until 1991, it was part of the UCI Europe Tour in 2005, in category 1.1. Since 2010, the event is part of the French Cycling Cup, of which it is the opening round.

The start of the 46th edition of the Grande Classic on road will be given on January 28.

The race offers attackers the opportunity to express themselves while the runners are launching their season, garnishing confidence, kilometers and rhythm!

For the final winner, it will be the opportunity to appear alongside winners such as Hinault, Virenque or Cosnefroy. Neilson Powless, the American, is the 2023 winner. If the French won 19 editions, the record for the number of victories goes to 3 foreign runners: the Belgians Planckaert and Van Hooydonck, and the Australian Baden Cooke.

The route begins and arrives in Marseille. The route will bring the runners to Allauch then Belcodene, Peynier, and Trets, before a visit to the Var, to join Saint-Zacharie and Plan-d’aups-Sainte-Beaume. After a passage to the Col de l’Espigoulier, the peloton will go to Gemenos, as well as to the Col de l’Ange, to return to Marseille by Roquefort-la-Bédoule. Part of blackcurrant, the route will take the difficult but majestic Route des Crêtes, 3.4 km long at 9.2% average. The Gineste pass will play the role of justice of the peace.

The rugged course promotes the development of a breakaway capable of going to the end. If it is difficult to isolate oneself in the Col de la Gineste, victory is often played in the Sprint in a small committee.

The resumption of the season regularly allows to have surprises and the race remains very open. The backpackers and punchers are the favorites of the day. In 2024, Kevin Geniets won against Baudin in a two sprint while the rest of the peloton, settled by Gautherat, finished at 1 min 10. Proof that it is possible to make the difference, especially at the level of the Route des Crêtes, cut for climbers. But what makes the race so open is that the summit is located 45 km from the finish, which it gives others a chance. Kevin Vauquelin is our favorite, but the Decathlon AG2R collective has arguments to go for a storage.

⭐⭐⭐ Kevin Vauquelin

⭐⭐ Victor Lafay – Axel Laurance

⭐ Pierre Gauterat – Anthony Perez

The complete startlist of the Grand Prix La Marseillaise 2025 by First Cycling