On Tuesday, July 22, the ‘Big of Provence’, Mont Ventoux, comes into focus for riders and followers alike of the Tour de France. The uncovered mass of white limestone is a singular punctuation on the panorama of southern France, named for the ‘mistral’ winds that sweep throughout the barren prime third of the mountain.
The big protrusion from the encompassing forests and lavender fields tops out at 1,913 metres, and on clear days it presents expansive views to the Alps within the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
It’s a place of legendary climate (winds have been clocked over 300 kph on the summit) in addition to legendary terrain that has spotlighted feats and defeats by professional cyclists. On Bastille Day in 2016, excessive winds pressured Tour organisers to shorten stage 12 and transfer the end line from the summit to 6km under at Chalet Reynard, a former ski refuge now a restaurant.
Magnificence and beast – Mont Ventoux is each.
When the world’s hottest bike race is not there, it is an amazing vacationer vacation spot with out an abundance of huge crowds. The climb of the mountain might be achieved by automotive, by foot or by bicycle, with an abundance of quaint cities within the space with in a single day lodging, tasty wineries and each lavender-themed memento possible.
When the Tour is there, as it’s this yr for the nineteenth time in its historical past, it takes much more planning, endurance and persistence to not solely make it to the highest, however make the journey fulfilling. Right here is a few info that can assist you wrangle the beast, whether or not it’s to search out an amazing spot to observe the Tour subsequent week or to strategise for a future journey.
For extra in regards to the historical past of the legendary mountain within the Tour de France, learn our characteristic with all of the statistics and tales.
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Climbing paradise?
There is a particular attract for cyclists to climb Mont Ventoux. {Many professional} and newbie biking occasions embody the mountain on their routes, with the Tour first together with a go excessive in 1951 after which having a primary summit end in 1958.
It has been 4 years because the Tour final included Mont Ventoux on the route, which was an epic double ascent in 2021, gained by Wout van Aert with a downhill end in Malaucène. This time, a summit end comes straight after the second relaxation day of the Tour to mild up the ultimate week of racing.
There are three roads that result in the highest of the area’s infamous climb – from Bédoin, Sault and Malaucène – with the standard southern ascent from Bédoin amping up the motion within the 172km stage 16.
Every morning, I get up to a photograph of Mont Ventoux on the wall, taken from Entrechaux, the place we stayed for a number of days. My husband, Jack, and I’ve been blessed to have travelled and ridden our bikes in that space a number of instances. My all-time favorite highway journey was a 100km route across the Ventoux, passing lavender fields, wineries and cruising by way of the Gorges de la Nesque. We have discovered to observe the professionals go whereas we take pleasure in a picnic close to a small city, and we journey our bikes within the days after the race has moved on. It is lots much less traumatic that approach.
It has been a dozen years since my husband made the solo climb of Mont Ventoux, as I succumbed to abdomen points that morning after a number of days within the saddle and opted to drive to the highest. I nonetheless thank what was in all probability lactose intolerance for my change of plans.
Even within the automotive, I could not consider how the highway by no means levelled out. Driving from Bedoin by way of the pine forest of the decrease slopes, the highway rolled left and proper and up and up and up. There have been no tight switchbacks, so no reprieve within the gradient. I’ve by no means seen so many individuals strolling their bikes on a decrease part of a climb, highway bikes and mountain bikes alike.
The ascent is 15.7km lengthy, and the typical gradient is available in at about 8.8%. The primary part by way of the forest is without doubt one of the hardest, with 3km at a constant 10%. After Chalet Reynard, the shade disappears, however not the pitch of the highway. Known as ‘a floor of the moon’, the subsequent 6km common 8% gradient. With the climate station on the prime of the mountain at all times in sight, the climb then will get harder, reaching pitches over 9% throughout the ultimate 1.7km.
I handed Jack and waved to him out the window. What I did not realise is that his ‘wave’ in my rear view mirror was actually a plea for help, however he soldiered on.
He had 5km to go, simply after stopping for water at Chalet Reynard, the one flat part of your complete 21.5km climb. His legs nonetheless moved, and he’s endlessly my hero for making it to the highest.
Jack makes use of one phrase to explain the climb, ‘relentless’. That go to, too, was in a July with out the Tour utilizing the identical roads, so I used to be capable of drive to the highest and park with out points.
On July 22, you will not have the luxurious of parking on the prime or the Chalet. The highway from Bedoin is meant to be open till 1:00 p.m. native time (see under), so get in your bike early to beat the warmth; the crowds will already be there.
Pampered plan
How do you make it to the 2 top-prioritised viewing places on Mont Ventoux – Chalet Reynard or the end line on the prime – with out being frazzled from congested roadways, discovering parking after which strolling or using to the highest? With planning (sorry, that is for the subsequent time the Tour involves Ventoux), skip the circus and simply decide to a “pampered” expertise.
One US couple, Kelly Sisario and Roger Register, have travelled extensively in North America and overseas to journey bikes on holidays, putting out on “do-it-yourself” journeys in addition to packaged excursions with teams. One journey with an authorised journey associate of the Tour de France a couple of years in the past was all they wanted as an excuse to return to the Grand Tour.
Merely put, “We wish to be pampered,” Register stated. “We will expertise Hautacam, Mont Ventoux and see the end in Paris. Be proper there and observe the Tour with out hassles.”
The retired couple will be capable to journey their bikes up the climbs, however stated they loved having a spot to vary garments, with drinks and meals ready for them, and a reserved spot to observe the riders within the Tour go shut by. In addition they get entry to crew paddocks and podiums at choose levels.
They will not miss any of the motion, as visitors within the Mont Ventoux and Alps journey can be transferred by TGV high-speed practice from Lyon to Paris and watch stage 21 on the Champs-Élysées.
For Mont Ventoux, they nonetheless need to journey that day up the mountain to succeed in personal hospitality, however they will have some fashionable comforts whereas they wait.
“We have achieved the climb earlier than. I’m extra freaked out this time as a result of I now bandit it’s,” Sisario admitted. “You see the stone markers with the space and % gradient on the climb. Your eyes can not help however see them.”
It may be extra of a financial funding to affix a journey operator, however Register stated it added as much as massive financial savings for extra time to benefit from the expertise itself and let others do the work. His recommendation to others was easy, “Don’t do it by yourself – the site visitors! Individuals on the mountain climbs have been there for 3 days!”
Stage 16 particulars
If you’re locked and loaded to be within the space for stage 16, you may see the Tour enter the Vaucluse through the Roquemaure bridge earlier than passing by way of the cities of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Courthézon, Sarrians, Aubignan, Caromb, Modène, Saint-Pierre-de-Vassols and Bédoin.
Contemplate minimising hassles with transportation and arrive in Bedoin by utilizing a journey service from one other city, or use the practice that goes to Carpentras (15km away) to then journey your bike.
Listed below are some suggestions from a press equipment for the Vaucluse Division supplied by organisers A.S.O. on accessing the course across the mountain so you may safely be a part of the revelry:
- Parking motorised autos alongside the roads resulting in Ventoux can be prohibited.
- Parking can be potential in designated areas within the villages of Bédoin, Sault, Malaucène, and the Mont Serein station.
- Beginning Monday, July 21, motorised site visitors can be prohibited on the RD 974 from the Saint-Estève bend (Bédoin), from Malaucène and on the RD 164 (Highway from Sault), from the Ventouret (aside from locals and companies).
- On the RD 974 in direction of Mont Ventoux, motorhome parking will solely be allowed in three parking areas: on the southern facet, on the Ermitants and the bike park (ski chairlift and bike parking) from Wednesday, July 16 at 12:00 p.m. and on the northern facet on the Mont Serein car parking zone. They are going to be closed as soon as full (on Monday, July 21 on the newest).
- On the day of the stage, Tuesday, July 22, RD 164 can be briefly reopened from 5:00 a.m. till 10:00 a.m. native time (on the newest), permitting mild autos completely to park at La Frache car parking zone, through the reserved monitor (it’s possible you’ll entry Chalet Reynard or the summit on foot, following a marked path).
- On the south facet, pedestrian and bicycle owner entry on July 22 will stay potential till round 1:00 p.m. native time, about one hour earlier than the passage of the promoting caravan.
- Beginner cyclists who made it to the summit on July 22 will be capable to descend the facet they got here from about quarter-hour after the passage of the broom wagon. The highway can be totally reopened at round 8:00 p.m. native time.
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