In the news: Mont Ventoux in 2016 Tour?
Early reports indicate that the famous hors-categorie climb in Provence will feature in the 2016 edition of the Tour.
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Sportwereld reports that Mont Ventoux will feature in the 2016 Tour de France, which begins on July 2 in Mont-Saint-Michel. The 2016 Tour will also visit the small country of Andorra early in the race.
The famous “Giant of Provence” first appeared in the Tour in 1951 and most recently in 2013. The peloton has traversed the hors-categorie climb on 15 occasions with nine summit finishes.
Chris Froome used the Mont Ventoux stage finish to assert his authority on the 2013 edition of the race. He beat Nairo Quintana by 29 seconds and led the general classification by 4:14 at the end of the day.
Lance Armstrong famously gifted a stage win to the late Marco Pantani atop the climb in 2000. After a tough battle up the climb, Armstrong allowed Pantani to cross the line first to claim the stage win, as a gesture of good faith. Pantani did not see it this way, and Armstrong later regretted the decision.
The rumored 14th stage of the 2016 race would start in Draguignan and the peloton would cover 180km (111.8mi) by the finish atop the bald mountain.