AI quick summary
- Mont Ventoux's classic Bédoin ascent is 21.5 km at 7.5% average, gaining 1610 m to the summit at 1909 m.
- The climb is effectively three different mountains stitched together: forested lower slopes, the Chalet Reynard middle section, and the exposed white limestone moonscape above the treeline.
- Tom Simpson collapsed and died on the slopes in the 1967 Tour; his memorial at 2 km from the summit is a pilgrimage site for cyclists.
- Chris Froome's 2016 Tour stage — running up the mountain without a bike after a motorbike collision — is the most-replayed single moment in modern Tour history.
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The climb at a glance
Mont Ventoux — the Bald Mountain — stands alone at the northern edge of Provence, detached from any range, its summit scraped bare of vegetation by fierce mistral winds. The classic Tour route climbs from Bédoin through dense cedar forest, breaks the treeline at Chalet Reynard, and finishes on a white limestone moonscape that looks more lunar than alpine.
Three routes exist: Bédoin from the south (the Tour route), Malaucène from the north, and Sault from the east. The Bédoin side is the hardest and the only one that has hosted Tour stage finishes.
Mont Ventoux — key stats (Bédoin to summit)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 21.5 km |
| Average gradient | 7.5% |
| Steepest sustained section | ~10% (St-Estève, km 9 to 14) |
| Elevation gain | 1610 m |
| Summit elevation | 1909 m |
| First Tour appearance | 1951 |
| Treeline break (Chalet Reynard) | km 15.5 |
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Tour de France history
The Tour first crossed Ventoux in 1951, on a road that was still partly unpaved. The summit did not host a stage finish until 1958, when Charly Gaul took the yellow jersey in a legendary solo raid through thick fog.
Summit finishes have followed roughly every five to ten years: Raymond Poulidor versus Anquetil in 1965, Eddy Merckx in 1970, Bernard Thévenet in 1972, Marco Pantani in 2000, Richard Virenque in 2002, Juanma Gárate in 2009, Chris Froome in 2013 and 2016. The 2021 Tour finished on the summit for Bastille Day, with Wout van Aert winning from the break.
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Iconic moments
13 July 1967 is the date every cyclist should know. British rider Tom Simpson collapsed on the upper slopes of Ventoux in the brutal heat and died in a helicopter soon after. His memorial — a weathered granite slab 2 km from the summit — is now the most-visited site in cycling, covered year-round in water bottles left by visiting riders.
14 July 2016 produced the strangest finale in Tour history. Chris Froome, wearing yellow, was caught behind a motorbike that braked sharply when a fan's flag jammed its wheel. Froome's bike was destroyed in the resulting pile-up. With no team car in sight, he began running up the mountain in cleated shoes, bikeless, before eventually being handed a neutral service bike. Race commissaires later reinstated the time gaps.
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How to ride it
The Bédoin ascent hides its hardest section in the middle. The first 8 km through the forest to St-Estève are gentle — 4 to 5% — and the temptation is to push on. Do not. From St-Estève the road turns left into a narrow corridor and ramps to over 9% for nearly five kilometres of relentless switchbacks.
Treeline breaks at Chalet Reynard. From here the gradient eases slightly but the landscape changes completely: exposed white limestone, no shade, and usually a headwind. On hot days the upper six kilometres are the most dangerous part of the climb — temperatures of 35°C are common on the rock.
Gear low, carry extra water, and apply sunscreen before the treeline. The descent on the Malaucène side is fast, technical, and one of the most beautiful in France if you have the legs for a second ascent.
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When to ride
The road is generally open from April to November, but the mistral can close the summit section at any time of year. Avoid July afternoons in a heatwave — the limestone radiates heat that the thermometer cannot capture. Early morning starts from Bédoin give you shade for the first half and manageable rock heat for the second.
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