For his first gravel race, Alexys Brunel, a former professional runner who switched to triathlon this year, had a perfect debut, winning the Canyon Gravel Roc, three days shy of his 25th birthday, in a time of 2h28'07'' over the 70 km course. For my first gravel race, it was a really great race," he confides. I really enjoyed it. It was royal. I found myself alone at the top of the first bump, and I was able to manage and take zero risks on the downhills so as not to fall or break. It's a promising start to my gravel career. He beat Clément Cousin by eight minutes, and Germany's Sonke Wegner by ten. I had a lot of fun," says Cousin, still in the Espoir category. I'm here above all for this Sunday's Roc d'Azur. I knew the course from last year and I loved it. In fact, it's the only time this year I've taken out the gravel. In the women's race, Belgian professional runner Alana Castrique (Team Cofidis) won in 2h58'22'', ahead of Annecy runner Julia Aubry, 11 minutes behind, and Sophie Almeida.
Roc Trail on the trails of Roquebrune-sur-Argens
From the Place Perrin in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, at the foot of the Chapelle Saint-Michel, over 800 runners set off on the four trails ranging from 16 to 43 km. All were able to appreciate the panoramic views over the Argens plain, dominated by the Rocher de Roquebrune, whose ochre color contrasted magnificently with the blue sky. And everyone was smiling at the finish. It's really cool to have trail running on the Roc d'Azur program," explains Edgar Dumas, winner of the Roc Trail 22 km. You can spend several very enjoyable days. In fact, I did the Roc Ruelles Fréjus on Friday evening. A good little release for today! I love mountain biking, I love running and the two complement each other superbly. The trail courses are beautiful and very technical. Last year I did the Roc Trophy and it's always a pleasure to come back to the Roc, whatever the discipline."