New French 1.1 race Classic Var will finish on the traditional Mont Faron climb

Next year there will be a new French race on the cycling calendar. The Var Classic, not to be confused with the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var, will take place on Friday, February 16. The organization has opted for a special finish for this 1.1 one-day race.

The riders who will participate in the Classic Var next year will finish on the Mont Faron. Cycling enthusiasts undoubtedly remember this climb. This feared climb was for years the image of the disappeared Tour of the Mediterranean. In a more recent past, Mont Faron was the finish location of several stages in the Tour du Haut Var.

The Mont Faron scares many riders, as this five-kilometre-long climb rises at no less than 9%. The organization of the Tour of the Mediterranean often chose to have the final stage finish on this climb.

Paris-Nice also ended several times on Mont Faron. For example, Alexander Vinokourov achieved a double in 2003, while Gilberto Simoni climbed here to victory two years later. In recent years, Mont Faron was being overlooked by race organisers, but that will change in 2024.