The 5 passes

Back to the 5 passes

A real mountain trail

Saturday 26 July 2025, it was time for the parcours des 5 cols, 24km long with around 1,400m of positive ascent. A demanding and technical route that took riders over five iconic Vars passes.

The ridge crossings, long climbs, variety of terrain and magnificent panoramas made this race a highlight of the weekend. Despite a little coolness at altitude, the conditions remained generally favourable, allowing the riders to express themselves to the full.

©Vars Moutain Trail 23 And 42km 39|Thibaut Blais

All the results

Reliving the 2025 race

Podium

Delphine Duros tops the 5 cols

In the women’s race, Delphine Duros won in 3h01. A regular at the Vars Trail, this was her 3rd or 4th appearance over the 24km – a distance she is particularly fond of. A mountain guide, she appreciates characterful courses like this one: “Long climbs from the start, very few flats, it’s a profile that suits me perfectly.“

Accustomed to the altitude, she made the most of her ease in the high mountains and maintained a good pace from start to finish. Loyal to Vars, she was once again on the podium – a habit with each of her appearances.

A hand-in-hand finish

In the men’s race, it was Thibaud Baudoin and Fabien Bistrot who crossed the finish line together in 2h26, having spent the race taking turns at the front. Unable to decide between them and driven by a great trail spirit, they chose to finish hand in hand, favouring sharing over competition.

Both were discovering Vars for the first time – one coming from Toulon, the other from Aix-en-Provence – and had to deal with the altitude. “We had to manage the effort, especially on the ridges where it was a bit cold. But the views were splendid, and the last descent was a real treat.”

Behind this duo, Bastien Hubaud completed the podium after a fine, steady race.