Preview Classic Var 2026 - Can the sprinters go over on reshaped classic?

The 2026 Classic Var will be taking place on the 21st of February and will be the first of two one-day races in a weekend of full-on racing in France. It is a race that is more suited to the sprinters this year, and should see a new rider add its name to the palmarès. We preview the race ahead.

The race was created only in 2024, a very recent one, as the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var has split into separate events. The Var region has always had its own racing, and currently has its own one-day race. Lenny Martínez and last year Christian Scaroni took the previous victories in this race, both of which had steep hilltop finishes on different climbs.

The route is less difficult than what the riders have found in the past, and this is going to be a race which can end in multiple scenarios. The riders depart from La Garde early on and quickly find the most difficult climb of the day, which is 6.8 kilometers long at 4.8%. Nothing too difficult, and the truth is the race lacks true climbs this time around, and that makes it one that will be guided towards the sprinters.

But that does not mean its an easy race, as the riders find rolling roads all day long. A sprint is expected into Brignoles after 175 kilometers on the bike, but there will certainly be many that will suffer beforehand, whilst early attacks and breakaways will not be easy to control in such terrain.

*** Phil Bauhaus, Giovanni Lonardi
** Milan Menten, Rick Pluimers, Thibaud Gruel
* Simone Velasco, Quinn Simmons, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Paul Lapeira, Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Matyas Kopecky, Joppe Heremans, Jason Tesson, Jenthe Biermans

Pick: Phil Bauhaus

How: Bunch sprint.