Stage 16 of the Tour de France will start from Montpellier after the second rest day. The race heads in a northeasterly direction through Provence, concluding with a summit finish on the iconic Mont Ventoux (15.7km at 8.8%).
There has not been a finish atop the Géant de Provence at the race since 2013, when Chris Froome won in the maillot jaune on the way to his first Tour de France victory. However, the climb was featured as recently as 2021, where the riders took on two different ascents before descending down the other side to the finish in Malaucène.
The riders will climb from the town of Bédoin up to Chalet Reynard, where stage 12 of the 2016 Tour de France finished after being shortened due to high winds. They will then enter the exposed area that the climb is renowned for, as the lack of tree cover leaves the riders completely open to the elements.
Mont Ventoux always leaves its mark on the Tour de France whenever it features in the race, from the tragedy of Tom Simpson in 1967, to Lance Armstrong versus Marco Pantani in 2000, or even Froome running without a bike in 2016. In its most recent inclusion, we saw Jonas Vingegaard distance Tadej Pogačar for the very first time, which could be a sign of things to come for this year’s race where they face each other again.
Stage 16 Sprints
- Chàteauneuf-du-Pape, km. 112.4
Stage 16 Mountains
- Mont Ventoux (HC) km. 165.3
