The Classic Var 2025 offered a thrilling scenario up until the last meters. Spanning 165.7 km between Le Luc and Fayence, the race delivered on all its promises. After an animated breakaway and a chasing peloton, everything was decided on the formidable climb of Fayence.
For this second edition, the route was completely redesigned. Last year, the riders faced an explosive finale leading to Mont Faron, where Lenny Martinez surprised everyone by winning in front of Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility). This year, the Fayence climb was on the schedule, with its 960 meters at an average of 11.2%, including a daunting section at 20%.
The initial part of the race unfolded without significant difficulty. A climb towards Ampus allowed the peloton to stretch out before a fast descent to La Motte. But all eyes were on the final ascent. An unforgiving judge of the competition.
A breakaway quickly controlled
As in 2024, the race was lively from the start. Five riders took the lead in the first kilometers after a section on the Circuit du Var. Veistroffer (Lotto Dstny) stood out with repeated efforts, trying to give the breakaway some breathing room.
But the teams of the favorites gave them no respite. The gap never exceeded a minute. 20 kilometers from the finish, the peloton picked up the pace. The tempo accelerated. The breakaway was swallowed up. The battle of the favorites could begin.
The long-awaited showdown on the Fayence climb
Last year, Lenny Martinez claimed victory on the summit of Mont Faron, overtaking Johannessen in the final meters. This year, the competition was fierce.
In the final hectometers, Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) attempted a forceful move. Leading for a while, he thought he could secure the win. But Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) perfectly managed his effort. With composure, the Italian timed his acceleration just right and overtook the Frenchman at the line.
Scaroni thus adds his name to the race’s list of winners, succeeding Lenny Martinez, who only placed 7th this year.
