Full route revealed for inaugural Mont Ventoux one-day race
The brutal new race ends atop one of the most iconic climbs in bike racing
The punishing route of the inaugural Mont Ventoux one-day race has been revealed.
Pros will tackle the brutal and beautiful summit in a single 185km event for the first time.
Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenges, a new UCI 1.1 category addition to the calendar, is set for June 17 and will feature a gruelling 4,400metres of climbing.
The profile, revealing the relentless climbing challenges, was published last year with the organisers now unveiling the full route.
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Starting from Vaison-la-Romaine north of the iconic climb, the peloton will loop around the mountain via Reilhanette, Sault, and Gordes, before heading north to the town of Bédoin at the foot of the climb.
The route then follows the classic ascent to the summit of Ventoux.
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But the final climb is not the only test.
The race will kick off with a 5km, easy 3.7% climb, followed by Col des Aires at 3km and 5.4%.
After that comes the first real test for the peloton, the 11.6km Col de l’Homme Mort with an average of 4.9%.
Over the next 80km there are a few smaller ramps, before cycling’s most famous climb appears.
Mont Ventoux, which has featured in the Tour de France 16 times, is steeped in cycling history, both glorious and tragic.
In 1967, Brit Tom Simpson died on the slopes of the 21km climb.
The climb first featured in the Tour in 1951, but not as a summit finish.
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A Ventoux finish line first appeared in 1958, with an individual time trial from Bédoin to the top won by Charly Gaul.
There have been 10 summit finishes atop Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France’s history.
At 8.7%, it is a brutal finale to the new one-day race.
Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenges one-day race will take place at the end of the Mont Ventoux Cycling Festival, and will follow the Santini GF Mont Ventoux sportive.
The race’s 1.1 status means we will see WorldTour teams tackle the climb, as well as Pro Continental, Continental and possibly national teams.
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