A video shot at the top of Mont Ventoux on Wednesday shows just why the Tour de France peloton will not reach the summit of the famous mountain on stage 12.
The Bastille Day showdown on the Bald Mountain will be cut short by six kilometres, with the stage now finishing at Chalet Reynard, because of winds of over 100kph forecast at the top.
A group of cyclists filmed the video above, showing some riders barely able to cling on to their bikes as they fought against the gales.
ITV's Matt Rendell also went near the top on Thursday morning and it sounds pretty blustery...
It's not uncommon for the mountain to be closed due to high winds, with a reported 240 days per year recording gusts of over 90kph.
The list of stage winners on Ventoux is pretty star studded, comprising Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor, Bernard Thevenet, Marco Pantani and Chris Froome.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
How much did Sepp Kuss and Jumbo-Visma win at the Vuelta a España 2023?
Turns out locking out the podium for much of the race gets you quite a few Euros
-
Sigma Sports posts £4.1m loss in ‘challenging year for retailers’
Company’s 2022 accounts reveal first loss in eight years - with rising interest rates, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and post-Covid economic environment cited as factors
-
Extra security meant Bern's hosting of Tour de France cost £500,000 more than expected
Tour de France cost Swiss capital of Bern more that it thought it would
-
Vincenzo Nibali slams critics of his Tour de France performance
Vincenzo Nibali says he's 'not a robot' and can't be expected to compete with those specifically targeting the Tour overall
-
Tony Martin reveals why he had to abandon Tour de France on Champs Élysées
Tony Martin made it all the way to final circuits in Paris on stage 21 before being forced to pull out of Tour de France
-
This is what it took to fuel Chris Froome and Team Sky through the Tour de France
Team Sky and Chris Froome ate a combined total of 1,000 energy gels and more than 500 bars during their 2016 Tour de France success.
-
Chris Froome wins 2016 Tour de France as André Greipel takes final stage
Chris Froome takes his third Tour de France victory in Paris on Sunday as André Greipel takes the final sprint showdown on the Champs Élysées
-
The moments that won Chris Froome the 2016 Tour de France
We look back at the key points from the 2016 Tour de France that won it for Chris Froome
-
Rival teams praise 'super' Sky at the Tour de France
Chris Froome did not win the Tour de France on his own, but was backed by eight Sky team-mates to make an unbeatable combination that is the envy of rivals
-
Chris Froome and Peter Sagan's special bikes for Tour de France final stage
A yellow Pinarello and a green Specialized for Chris Froome and Peter Sagan to mark their classification wins in the 2016 Tour de France
