Everything you need to know about Mont Ventoux; set to test 2025 Tour de France peloton

The iconic Mont Ventoux will again dominate the Tour de France landscape in 2025, with the infamous climb back as a summit finish—a return to this format for the first time in 12 years. Known as the “Giant of Provence” and often called the “Bald Mountain” due to its barren, rocky peak, Ventoux will mark its 19th appearance in Tour history. This mountain’s isolated, desolate terrain, with slopes that seem to stretch endlessly, has come to symbolise a unique kind of agony for riders and has provided some of the Tour’s most memorable moments.

The last time Ventoux appeared on the Tour, in 2021, riders faced the rare double ascent format. That edition saw Wout van Aert power to a remarkable solo victory in Malaucène, while Jonas Vingegaard briefly dropped Tadej Pogačar near the summit during a pivotal moment of the race. This year, the organisers have reverted to a summit finish, setting the stage for what is likely to be one of the most dramatic days in the 2025 Tour.

A Mythical Ascent

Mont Ventoux sits in the southeast of France, about 20 kilometres northeast of Carpentras. Geographically part of the Alps, its lonely position in Provence makes it feel isolated from other mountains of its calibre. Rising starkly from the surrounding lowlands, Ventoux’s isolated peak dominates the skyline, seen as far as 120 kilometres southwest at Alpe d’Huez. This unique, stand-alone profile has led to Ventoux being regarded almost as a mythical figure among the Tour’s climbs.

Deforestation for shipbuilding in Toulon during the 12th century and extensive sheep herding has rendered the upper slopes almost entirely barren, a scene of limestone scree and rocks left to blister under the Provençal sun. Below the 1,500-metre mark, the lower slopes were reforested in the 1950s, but as riders approach the summit, they emerge from the treeline onto a landscape that can seem otherworldly. As Ben O’Connor described to Cyclingnews after his 2021 effort on Ventoux, “I know what it feels like to be cooked in the sun, and I was cooked in the sun.”

A Gruelling Challenge

The most famous and punishing way to tackle Ventoux is from Bédoin, which will be the route of choice for the 2025 Tour de France. The ascent spans 21.5 kilometres with an average gradient of 7.43%, but averages tell only part of the story. Riders start with a deceptively gentle five-kilometre warm-up stretch, where the gradient stays below six per cent, allowing them to settle into the effort. However, this relief is short-lived as the road soon kicks up dramatically, with gradients that vary from 8.6% to over 10% in the gruelling nine-kilometre section that follows.

A slight respite appears only briefly before the slope again ramps up as riders reach the upper slopes. The final three kilometres test every ounce of strength, with sections rising from 8.3% to 10% as the summit finally comes into sight. Another approach from Malaucène provides a similarly difficult climb but is less used. Meanwhile, the route from Sault is the longest at 26 kilometres but is shallower, gaining only 1,220 metres. This longer ascent from Sault, however, has rarely featured in the professional ranks.

Beyond its sheer physical difficulty, Ventoux is notorious for its exposure to the fierce Provençal mistral wind. Gusts regularly reach 90 km/h on the mountain, and this unrelenting wind has been known to blow over 240 days a year. Some suggest that Ventoux’s name derives from the French word “venteux,” meaning “windy.”

Photo Credit: Getty

The History of Ventoux in the Tour de France

First introduced to the Tour de France in 1951, Ventoux has held a special place in the race’s folklore for over 70 years. Lucien Lazarides became the first rider to reach its summit during that 1951 edition, followed by Jean Robic a year later. Yet, it wasn’t until 1955 that Ventoux began its legendary reputation when Louison Bobet attacked the slopes, leaving his competitors far behind to claim a stage victory that solidified his hold on the maillot jaune. Bobet crossed the summit and soloed to victory over 60 kilometres, eventually gaining a margin of six minutes.

Ventoux’s place in Tour history is as much a story of triumph as it is of tragedy. In 1967, British cyclist Tom Simpson, exhausted and disoriented, collapsed twice on the upper slopes and ultimately died near the summit. Found with amphetamines in his jersey and bloodstream, Simpson’s tragic death exposed a troubling side of the sport’s struggle with doping. The mountain today holds a memorial to Simpson, where fans still leave tokens of respect, recognising Ventoux’s link to the darker days of the sport.

Following Simpson’s death, the climb witnessed one of its most legendary battles in 1970 when Eddy Merckx, widely regarded as one of the greatest riders in history, took on the mountain. Merckx powered past the Tom Simpson memorial en route to victory, only to collapse in an ambulance after crossing the finish line. He reportedly gasped, “No, it’s impossible,” after needing oxygen to recover from the effort.

In 1987, Ventoux would leave another rider’s dreams shattered. Jean-François Bernard stormed to victory in a mountain time trial on the iconic slopes, moving into the maillot jaune. But Ventoux’s challenge had drained him; he haemorrhaged four minutes in the following stage, ultimately dropping to third overall in the general classification.

The iconic status of the climb continued to grow when Italian rider Eros Poli shocked the peloton by winning a stage on Ventoux in 1994 after a 171-kilometre solo breakaway. Although he lost a minute per kilometre on the ascent, Poli clung to his lead for an unforgettable stage win.

Armstrong and Froome’s Unforgettable Moments

Ventoux also hosted one of the most controversial moments of Lance Armstrong’s career. In the 2000 Tour, Armstrong, holding the yellow jersey, reached the summit with Marco Pantani. However, instead of fighting for the stage, Armstrong offered the win to Pantani in what he thought was a sporting gesture. Pantani later expressed his displeasure, feeling the victory was gifted rather than earned. Armstrong later described Ventoux as a mountain that “doesn’t like me,” especially after finishing third when Richard Virenque won the 2002 stage on its slopes.

For Chris Froome, Ventoux provided one of his most challenging moments in 2016, though not purely due to the gradient. That year’s stage was shortened to Chalet Reynard, seven kilometres below the summit, due to high winds. The lower finish meant that fans overwhelmed the roadside, leading to chaos that culminated in Froome colliding with a TV motorbike. In one of the most bizarre moments in Tour history, Froome began running up Ventoux in his yellow jersey without a bike. His time losses were later neutralised, allowing him to retain the yellow jersey.

Mont Ventoux’s harsh and otherworldly appearance has made it a central figure in Tour folklore. Its unpredictable conditions, brutal gradients, and tragic history have created a mystique that continues to draw riders and fans alike. With the return of the summit finish in 2025, Ventoux is set to provide another unforgettable chapter in the legacy of the Tour de France.