Pure myth: A mountain makes tour hearts beat faster

One of the most famous deaths in cycling, a curious panic reaction by Chris Froome and the place of pilgrimage for hordes of tourists every year: Mont Ventoux is one of the most striking mountains in the Tour de France and is once again in the spotlight on Tuesday.

July 22, 2025

From: dpa

The 16th stage ends on Tuesday at the peak of the barren, lunar landscape of Mont Ventoux. The limestone scree transforms the "Giant of Provence," with its summit at almost 2.000 meters, into a desolate terrain. Due to the limited vegetation, the heat makes life particularly difficult for the professional cyclists, compounded by at times merciless wind conditions.

German cyclist Maximilian Schachmann downplayed the importance of the mountain somewhat. “Of course it is still a myth,” the German time trial champion recently told the ARD"I only know the image of the top and I know it can be windy. A mountain is a mountain. At the end, it's a road with a gradient. If you break it down very simply."

Armstrong: The hardest climb in France

Florian Lipowitz, the current Tour overall third-place finisher, who took over the white jersey this weekend, wasn't going to make it so simple. He's looking forward to the climb in his debut Tour: Every rider dreams of being able to ride a mountain like this in the Tour, said Lipowitz. "But if I'm honest, I don't really concern myself with the history, but of course, I know one or two stories," said the 24-year-old.

Mont Ventoux presents the peloton with a difficult challenge. © APA/afp / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT

“It is a spiritual place with so much history,” said former cycling superstar Lance Armstrong in an interview with RTL/ntv"There's no relief on Mont Ventoux. It can be very hot at the bottom of the mountain and very windy at the top," explained the American. "I think it's the hardest climb in France. I don't think it's the hardest climb in Europe, but it's certainly in France." Former German Tour champion Jan Ullrich said: "You see the tower, you see the finish line, the battle gets bigger and bigger, your legs hurt, your lungs hurt, but you fight through it."

Two Britons in Stories in Focus

Tom Simpson died on the slopes of the mountain in 1967 after collapsing under the influence of amphetamines and alcohol. The death caused an outcry and sparked a doping debate. Today, a memorial stone stands on the Ventoux, and amateur cyclists regularly leave souvenirs there.

Four-time Tour champion Chris Froome caused some strange scenes in 2016. When the Briton couldn't continue due to his broken bike and the team car was too far away, he ran in a panic and attempted to climb the mountain on foot for a while. Race officials later ruled in favor of the then-yellow jersey wearer, retrospectively recalculating the gaps at the time of the incident a few hundred meters from the finish. Froome won the Tour ten days later in Paris.

Keywords cycling racing bike Tour de France Mont Ventoux