By whatever name you call it - Giant of Provence, Bald Mountain , Snow Top, or Vintur (God of the Gauls) - Mont Ventoux is the stuff of lore and legend in this lushly lavender-covered region. With multiple access points (Bedoin, Sault, or Malaucene), Ventoux can be ascended by pro and leisure riders alike, but is not for the feint of heart!

The highest isolated mountain in France, Mont Ventoux has a unique and somewhat eerie limestone “moonscape” at the top and lush provençal terrain at the bottom. It was first made famous in the cycling world by the incredible and tragic story of Tom Simpson, who in 1967, expired just a half mile from the summit, still clipped to his pedals. The Simpson memorial now stands at the precise location and is visited yearly by loads of cyclists, paying their respects.

All is not tragic in the world of Mt. Ventoux and cycling, though. It has figured in the Tour de France 13 times, with 7 Stage finishes at the top, one of the most gruelling of which was the 2000 battle between Armstrong and Pantani. Other cycling greats such as Eddy Merckx and Richard Virenque have won stages, but so far the fastest ascent recorded was Iban Mayo in the 2002 Dauphiné Libéré trial. With great anticipation and excitement this beloved mountain will have a place in the 2009 Tour, and that is something to cheer about!  

In addition to the world-renowned cycling races and cyclosportives, another exciting thing, if you are up to the task, is to take up the challenge of Les Cinglés du Ventoux. All you have to do is climb Mont Ventoux from each of the 3 ways up on the same day! No prob! Oh, and just in case you were wondering, cinglé is French for screwball or crazy! More power to ya!

Cyclomundo tours make the most of this Giant while at the same time giving you an unforgettable taste of the surrounding Provence countryside. Mont Ventoux is a remarkable spectacle and a challenging riding experience. With various species of oak, cedar, beech, and pine, as well as vineyards and even some animals, climbing Mont Ventoux is a feast for the eyes and sure exhilaration for the legs (you’ll have more time to admire these things on the way up than on the way down because if you blink you’ll miss it!).