After a wait of more than 20 years, the Tour de France has finally found a French winner at the top of that most fabled of mountains – Mont Ventoux.
Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) outsprinted Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) after a relentless fight much of the way up its steep and fabled slopes.
"It's a dream scenario, something unique, for the moment I can't believe what's happened," said Paret-Peintre afterwards. "It's a mythical place, so many things have happened here.
He added: "I'm in a Belgian team, and when everybody asks what's the climb everybody knows in school, everybody says Mont Ventoux.
"I've only been up twice, once in the Tour, and once on holiday I came up to do it."
With himself and Ben Healy clearly looking the strongest, Paret-Peintre said he had been very focused on the EF rider as the pair approached the finish – with Paret-Peintre's team-mate Ilan Van Wilder also in tow – and was confident for the final push. He was, however, aware of the ever-narrowing gap between the front group and the rampaging duo of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard behind.
"I knew I could beat him on such a steep climb at the end, that I was faster, and could get past him. I was worried too about the yellow jersey coming back, but I knew I could count on Ilan Van Wilder for great support and then go for it."
It was the fourth win in this Tour for the Belgian team, which has already won stages with Remco Evenepoel, and two with Tim Merlier.
But Mont Ventoux is surely the jewel in that crown for the team, for the 'Giant of Provence' is such an icon that any win at its summit is one for the history books.
It may also go some way to offering a soothing balm for the wound opened up by the abandon of GC hopeful Evenepoel.
The last French rider to claim victory on Ventoux's windy peak was Richard Virenque, way back in 2002. Before Virenque – who remains controversial for many due to his involvement in the Festina affair – it was Jean-François Bernard, who time trialled to the win in 1987, and after him Bernard Thévenet in 1972. Fifteen years apart though their wins may be, they remain the only back-to-back French Ventoux wins in the men's Tour de France since it was first used in 1958.
The most recent men's Tour de France winners on Mont Ventoux include Thomas De Gendt in 2016, which finished at Chalet Reynard, six kilometres from the summit, and Chris Froome in 2013.
