The women’s Tour de France faces its third staging with a brutal mountain test on Friday, climbing the legendary Mont Ventoux for the first time since the race’s modern revival by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO).
The Legend and Lore of the Giant of Provence
Cycling history records that when French rider Lucien Lazaridès first crested the summit of Mont Ventoux in front during the 1951 Tour de France, he spent an August evening relaxing on a terrace with a glass of pastis alongside Pablo Picasso near the Côte d’Azur, recounting the adventure of conquering the intimidating limestone peak. Decades later, that same harsh landscape of barren white gravel and fierce winds forms the backdrop for the women’s peloton. According to race organizers, this marks the third edition of the modern women’s Tour since ASO restored the race to the international calendar, but it is the first time competitors will battle up the slopes of the Ventoux.
Route Demands and Climatic Challenges
Implications for the General Classification
What Lies Ahead
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