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The Mont Ventoux is the most famous mountain in the French region of Provence. Although it is geologically part of the Alps mountain range, the Mont Ventoux appears to be isolated as there are no other peaks of similar altitude in the area. The summit presents a spectacular lunar landscape composed of limestone rock with no vegetation, making the road exposed to strong winds, especially the mistral, which explains the name Mont Ventoux (Windy Mountain).

In the world of cycling, the mountain has become famous primarily for being included in the route of the Tour de France, where it has been climbed 17 times. It is also a regular feature in the routes of the Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Nice, and Tour de la Provence. Since 2019, a new race, the Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenge (CIC Mont Ventoux from this year's edition), has been added to this illustrious list, but in this case with the Ventoux as the main protagonist. It is a one-day race, which is rare in itself, as high mountain one-day races are not usually found in the professional calendar. This uniqueness has made the event stand out, and this year it has been included in the UCI ProSeries.

Route

The race is a true mountain festival. With a route of 154 km and over 4500 meters of positive elevation gain, the course includes climbs to the Col de la Gabelle (10 km at 4.2%), Rocher du Cire (18.4 km at 2.3%), and two ascents of Mont Ventoux (21 km at 8.7%). The finish line is located at the summit of the second ascent.

Favorites

Just two days before the race, the starting list is still in an early stage, and it's difficult to talk about favorites. For the moment, Guillaume Martin (800), Michael Woods (600), Pierre Latour (400), Domenico Pozzovivo (400), Jesús Herrada (400), Iván Ramiro Sosa (200), and Lenny Martinez (200) are some of the top climbers registered in the provisional list.

Photo: CIC Mont Ventoux