Get ready for an intense and thrilling cycling event! The Faun Drôme Classic is set to ignite the racing scene on March 1st, continuing France's renowned one-day race tradition. This event, alongside its prestigious sibling, the Faun-Ardèche Classic, promises an action-packed weekend. Mark your calendars for an exciting start at 11:55 CET and a thrilling finish at 16:25 CET.
Despite its younger age compared to the Faun-Ardèche Classic, the Faun Drôme Classic has quickly established itself as a formidable race. Its inaugural edition in 2013 was unfortunately canceled due to snowy conditions, but since then, it has witnessed remarkable victories. Romain Bardet, a cycling legend in France, claimed his win here in 2014, and more recently, Jonas Vingegaard's sole one-day race victory in 2022 served as a stepping stone towards his historic Tour de France triumph.
The race route, Étoile-sur-Rhône - Étoile-sur-Rhône, spans 185 kilometers and is a climber's paradise. Riders will tackle two loops of an initial hilly circuit with four small ascents, but the real challenge awaits towards the end. Within the final 75 kilometers, they'll encounter a grueling series of nine categorized climbs, each presenting steep gradients, lengthy distances, or a combination of both. The Col de la Grande Limite, a 4-kilometer ascent at 6.3%, ending with 38 kilometers to go, is expected to be the climbers' playground, offering the longest and most demanding effort of the day.
After this grueling climb, riders will face several shorter, explosive climbs, making for tactical and thrilling racing. The finale into Étoile-sur-Rhône is a slight uphill drag, 1.1 kilometers at 5%, leaving only a select few riders with a realistic chance of victory after such a demanding course. Even in a sprint finish, the puncheurs, with their explosive power, are favored on this challenging terrain.
Now, let's predict the outcome of the Faun Drôme Classic 2026:
*** Jan Christen, Romain Grégoire
** Matteo Jorgenson, Mattias Skjelmose, Christian Scaroni, Lenny Martínez
* António Morgado, Igor Arrieta, Pavel Sivakov, Ben Tulett, Quinn Simmons, Clément Champoussin, Axel Laurance, Dorian Godon, Paul Lapeira, Nicolas Prodhomme, Ben Heally, Harry Sweeny, Jarno Widar, Alex Aranburu, Tom Gloag
Our pick for the win: Jan Christen
How it will unfold: A small group will battle it out for the victory.
And here's the controversial part: With such a challenging course, will the favorites be able to maintain their lead, or will an underdog surprise us all? Who do you think will dominate the Faun Drôme Classic? Let's discuss in the comments and share our predictions!
