Iban Mayo climbs to Ventoux record

Ventoux profile - click to enlarge

Eros Poli - 190lbs meets Mont Ventoux

Tom Simpson on lower slopes of Ventoux

Tom Simpson Memorial on The Ventoux

Charly Gaul climbed Ventoux in 1h 2' 9"

Warrick on the ventoux 2007

11 THINGS ABOUT MONT VENTOUX -THE GIANT OF PROVENCE

2009 Etape - Mont Ventoux - More Moon than Mountain
Those of us that agree that the Ventoux is in fact terrifying split into two groups - 1. those of us that have ridden it and 2. those that have not.
Ventoux had a terrible reputation before Tom Simpson died on the upper slopes on 13th July 1967. But that day, the footage (see link at the end) and the ensuing controversy have calcified this bizarre climb as truly having 'something of the night' about it. Here are our random eleven things about 'The Giant'

1.The record for climbing Mont Ventoux is still held by Iban Mayo. He set it In the 2004 of the Dauphineé Libéré during the mountain time trial stage that followed the classic ascent from Bedoin to the summit. His time was 55' 51", which is quite fast.

2. The Classic Route is also the most feared. The vertical gain from Bedoin at 300 metres to the summit at 1912 metres is 1612 metres and an average gradient of 7.6% over the 22 kms. Nothing compared to The Galibier or a host of other Alpine climbs you might say? But Ventoux's challenges are not fully expressed by those simple statistics. Read on.

3. The name 'Ventoux' refers to 'venteux', which means windy in French. Mistral winds that plague the area have been measured at over 320 kmh! Last time Warrick rode it the wind was more of an issue than the gradient - see point 2 above and read more.

4. Geologically Ventoux is part of the Alps. But its menace and mystery partly stems from the fact that it stands isolated and alone overlooking Rhone Valley. The Bald Mountain (the barren summit area is exposed limestone) is clearly visible wherever you are in the area - it appears to haunt the region (or am I getting carried away now?).

5. Lance Armstrong described Ventoux thus:
"It's just a weird place, a very weird place - It's the hardest climb in the Tour, bar none."
Not the glowing recommendation. Warming to his theme Lance continues:
"Nineteen hundred meters up there is completely different from 1,900m any place else. There's no air, there's no oxygen. There's no vegetation, there's no life. There's no life. Rocks. Any other climb there's vegetation, grass and trees. Not there on the Ventoux. It's more like the moon than a mountain."

6. "The Ventoux is a god of Evil, to which sacrifices must be made," it never forgives weakness and extracts an unfair tribute of suffering." This was written by Roland Barthes - French philospher and sometime bike-nut. The quote I think is self explanatory?

7. The Tyler Hamilton Twins were more prosaic, but no less respectful in their assessment:
"You need to ride within yourself - some climbs you can attack at the bottom and hold it all the way to the top, but this is a climb that I think you need to ride definitely within your limits - the last six kilometers are very difficult". They said. No shit Sherlock we say.

8. Mont Ventoux is a tremendously good place to glimpse the Short-toed Eagle ( Circaetus gallicus ).

9. In 1958 Luxembourg's diminutive climber Charly Gaul climbed Mont Ventoux in 1h 2' 9" during Le Tour of that year. Recent studies of Dr Conrad Earnest (presented to the SICI Symposium in 2008) suggested that with modern equipment Gaul's time could rival modern riders. Extrapolated figures suggest that in 1958 riders were making about 6.1 watts per kg compared to 6.4 for Lance in 2001.

10. We remember this so well - in 1994 Eros Poli - Mario Ciplloini's lead-out man. A six foot four 190lb domestique, decided to set off on a solo 170kms break that would take him over Mont Ventoux. One of the worst climbers in the peleton faced the worst climb. Even though he built a 25 minute lead at Bedoin, I was convinced that he would get caught. It was pain personified watching this giant man pull himself up in the searing heat. You could have got about 200:1 against the likes of Eros winning that particular stage. But he did and there has never been a more popular winner of a mountain stage than this likeable, generous epicurean professional.

11. Tommy Simpson died in 1967 on the sun-blasted face of Mont Ventoux only a kilometre from the summit. He had already fallen off his bike from exhaustion a mile back and had implored his mechanics to put him back on his bike. Mystery and intrigue has ruled ever since. We know one of his team-mates very well and he only recently opened up on the subject. It is now well documented that Simpson had ingested both amphetamines and brandy in the 45 degree heat! At the time Tour rules dictated that riders could have a maximum of four bidons (bottles) per stage. This rule was ammended after Simpson's death. We will be riding past Tommy Simpson's memorial about one kilometre from the finish of the 2009 Etape du Tour.

N.B. The Etape last came to Mont Ventoux in 2000. Halfway through the stage the climb was closed at Chalet Reynard because of snow and freezing temperatures.

Links:
Read CycleFit News November 2008 - '09 Etape Special ..more
Jules and Phil's '08 Etape Guide ..more
Read about Ventoux ..more
Read about Tom Simpson ..more
See Tommy Simpson's last climb on YouTube ..more
Read Warrick's Ventoux Blog ..more