Introduction
INTRODUCTION
It's up there somewhere.
Behind that cyclist in the photo below, lies Mr Ventoux ("the windy mount"). Looks quite innocuous, doesn't it? Also known as "Le Geant de Provence" it is a pilgrimage for cyclists, a cycling bucket list item. Every day of the year except when the fierce Mistral makes it unsafe or impossible, or perhaps in the winter when snow comes, there are many cyclists of all shapes and sizes on their way to the top.
Of course it is famous mainly because it is one of the iconic "Tour de France" climbs, the scene of many dramas from the death of Tom Simpson on 21 July 1967 to the winning climb of another British cyclist Chris Froome in the 100th edition of the Tour on 14th July 2013. It was first used in 1951 when Lucien Lazarides led the peloton over the summit, and in 1958 the race finished there for the first time. Since then there have been 9 more finishes there and the race has crossed the summit another 6 times. But, apart from the cycling, it is also an interesting and stunning place set in a most beautiful part of Southern France, Provence.
So I definitely wanted to cycle up Mt.Ventoux like many other cyclists. But I had also heard of something called "Les Cingles du Mont Ventoux" (The Mads of Mont Ventoux), where there is an elite club which admits those who cycle up Mt.Ventoux not once, but three times on the same day by the three different routes.
So on the 21st June 2017, the 50th anniversary of Tom Simpson's death, I arrived in Bedoin, one of the villages at the start of one of the climbing routes to Mt.Ventoux, ready to do my challenge on the next day.
It's up there somewhere.
Behind that cyclist in the photo below, lies Mr Ventoux ("the windy mount"). Looks quite innocuous, doesn't it? Also known as "Le Geant de Provence" it is a pilgrimage for cyclists, a cycling bucket list item. Every day of the year except when the fierce Mistral makes it unsafe or impossible, or perhaps in the winter when snow comes, there are many cyclists of all shapes and sizes on their way to the top.
Of course it is famous mainly because it is one of the iconic "Tour de France" climbs, the scene of many dramas from the death of Tom Simpson on 21 July 1967 to the winning climb of another British cyclist Chris Froome in the 100th edition of the Tour on 14th July 2013. It was first used in 1951 when Lucien Lazarides led the peloton over the summit, and in 1958 the race finished there for the first time. Since then there have been 9 more finishes there and the race has crossed the summit another 6 times. But, apart from the cycling, it is also an interesting and stunning place set in a most beautiful part of Southern France, Provence.
So I definitely wanted to cycle up Mt.Ventoux like many other cyclists. But I had also heard of something called "Les Cingles du Mont Ventoux" (The Mads of Mont Ventoux), where there is an elite club which admits those who cycle up Mt.Ventoux not once, but three times on the same day by the three different routes.
So on the 21st June 2017, the 50th anniversary of Tom Simpson's death, I arrived in Bedoin, one of the villages at the start of one of the climbing routes to Mt.Ventoux, ready to do my challenge on the next day.
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