Le Mont Ventoux

Hey, seeing as I recently rode the Mont Ventoux, I thought I'd do a little bit of research on it.

Firstly, Mont Ventoux, or the ‘bald mountain’ is situated in the Provence region of France, an area known for it’s beautiful landscape, mixed climate and cuisine. Mont Ventoux is approximately 20km northeast of Vaucluse.

Mont Ventoux, as the name suggests, is named after the French word for windy; venteux. When travelling up the mountain, especially on the Bedoin route, it can be very tough as riders can face the mistral wind, which has blown at speeds of up to 320km/hr. Due to logging of the mountain in the 12^th century, Mont Ventoux appears to be snow capped all year, however it does give you an unobstructed view of the incredibly beautiful landscape down below. When I had recovered from the ride up and bought some of the BEST tasting lollies in the world from the stall, I sat back on my bike and soaked in the incredible, and surreal landscape below me.

The spectacular view from the summit.

Mont Ventoux has been made a notorious ride for both amateurs and the pro's, as it has been ascended by cyclists in the Tour on 14 separate occasions. On many occasions riders have exerted themselves to the point of exhaustion just to claim the stage victory on the lone mountain, the 'Giant of Provence'. The most infamous event to have occurred on this mountain is certainly the death of British rider Tom Simpson, who on the 13 July 1967 died from heat exhaustion. There is a lot of speculation towards the cause of his death, but it is believed to be caused by a combination of factors including lack of fluid, amphetamines, and alcohol. If you ride up to the top, you're bound to see his memorial; 

Memorial to Tom Simpson

If you want to ride up Mont Ventoux, there are three possible starting points, Bedoin (I was told by my friend in France that it was the hardest!), Malaucéne and from Salt. I think that these climbs are ordered to their respective difficulty. 

Recently, the Tour de France has used Mont Ventoux in the year 2000, 2002, and seven years later in 2009. In '00, and '02, Lance Armstrong was the holder of the Maillot-jaune, while Pantani and Virenque took out the stage victories. In '09 the machine Contador was holding the Yellow Jersey while Spanish rider Juan Manuel Gárate won the stage victory. 

This is one of the most rewarding and challenging exercises I have ever done, and I would strongly recommend anyone in the area on a holiday or whatever to give it a go, regardless of whether your an amateur or not. The lone 'Giant of Provence' is a very do-able challenge and the reward is an unadulterated view of the beautiful and surreal landscape of the valley's below.