It’s the last race of the season, and I’m not really sure how it’s going to go, especially on such a tough course.” Early Friday morning, on the start line of the Škoda Roc Marathon, Belgian rider Wout Alleman admitted he didn’t really know what kind of shape he was in. He quickly got his answer. In 4h37’53’’ over 104 km and 2,900 meters of elevation gain, Alleman claimed victory. At 29 years old, the 2023 European Marathon Champion, third last year in Fréjus and a World Cup winner this past May, succeeds Swiss rider Casez South. “I’m really happy to end the season with a win,” the champion said with a smile. “It was very tough today with the heat and dust. Around the 60th kilometer, I made my move. After that, it was full gas all the way to the finish.”
He finished 2’46’’ ahead of Italian Gioele De Cosmo and Colombian Hector Leonardo Paez Leon, UCI Marathon World Champion in 2019 and 2020, runner-up in 2023 and fifth in 2019 at the Roc. French champion Axel Roudil-Courtinat was the best of the French riders, finishing 15th overall.
Among the women, Swiss rider Anna Weinbeer, runner-up at the World Championships in September in the marathon discipline, dominated the race. “This is amazing,” said the 31-year-old from Basel, smiling after her 5h29’52’’ effort. “It was really tough, especially the last hour. My body struggled to handle the high temperatures. I had a week off, so I thought, why not go to Fréjus and discover this race? It turned out to be one of the hardest races of my season, but it’s the perfect way to end it. I even managed to catch glimpses of the sea and enjoy the scenery. And now—it’s beach time before heading back to the office on Monday!” Dutch champion Rosa van Doorn, UCI World Cup leader and 2024 European Champion, took second place, 16’35’’ behind, just a few seconds ahead of Italian Giorgia Marchet.
Escorted by the sunrise over the Mediterranean, nearly 1,300 riders took the start of the Škoda Roc Marathon. A long and grueling effort, but also a privilege and a joy to ride through the Maures Massif. While the best riders completed the course in just over four and a half hours, others spent long hours out on the trails—some finishing only as the sun set on the horizon.
