The Fréjus (Var) nature reserve is back to its early October best with the first day of the 39th Roc d'Azur. From now until Sunday, mountain bikers of all kinds, as well as triathletes, trail runners and, for the first time, hikers, will meet in the sublime scenery of the Massif des Maures and the Massif de l'Estérel.
Mountain bikers everywhere have come to get their bearings for a week they've been looking forward to for a long time. Many of them are regulars. Because you can't miss the Roc d'Azur. On Wednesday, the first races of the 39th edition of the mountain bike mecca got underway. The first arrivals too, and the first smiles.
Traditionally, the 300 participants of "Générations Roc Sport pour Tous" were the first to take to the Roc d'Azur trails. In the early afternoon, they were followed by the riders of the Rallye Roc XC, an event with an original format, with 34.1 km to cover, spiced up by four timed sections (3.5 km; 4 km; 1.8 km; 4 km) alternating climbs and descents, trails and single tracks. Some of the participants completed the first of the five Roc Trophy events (one event per day from Wednesday to Sunday).
This Thursday, participants in the Garmin Roc Masters will be the first to set off, at 8am. They will be followed by the Mid Roc peloton. Of particular interest is the Tri Roc, a cross triathlon with 1,500 m swim in the Mediterranean, 30 km mountain bike and 9.6 km run on the nature base, the first stage of the Multi Roc Challenge, a new event in 2023 with a cumulative ranking of performances in the Tri Roc, the Ford Roc Marathon (Friday), the Roc Trail 32 km (Saturday) and finally the Roc d'Azur (Sunday).
For everyone, beyond the sport, there's also the opportunity to take advantage of the village and its 300 exhibitors to share their passion, discover what's new, meet the big stars, who are also loyal to the Roc d'Azur, or attend the many daily events that each year raise the atmosphere several levels.
EXHIBITION:
Thursday, October 5: 9am - 7pm
Friday, October 6: 9am - 7pm
Saturday, October 7: 9 am - 7 pm
Sunday, October 8: 9am - 5pm