The last kilometres may have strong, violent winds. To serve as a comparison the climb of Alpe d'Huez is about 13.8 km (8.6 mi) at an average gradient of 7.9%. Until Saint-Estève, the climb is 3.9% over 5.8 km (3.6 mi), but the remaining 16 km (9.9 mi) has an average gradient of 8.9%. The road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.43%. This is regarded as the most difficult ascent. In road bicycle racing, the mountain can be climbed by three routes. The view from the summit of Mont Ventoux at dawn įrom 1902 to 1976, the Mont Ventoux Hill Climb for car and motorcycle took place on the roads of the Mont. In the 1960s, a 50-metre-tall (160 ft) telecommunications mast was built. This observatory had been planned in 1879, along with a carriage road for access. In 1882, a meteorological station was constructed on the summit, but it is no longer in use. In the 15th century, a chapel was constructed on the top and dedicated to the Holy Cross. The Italian poet Petrarch wrote a possibly fictional account of an ascent accompanied by his brother on 26 April 1336, in his Ascent of Mont Ventoux. Mont Ventoux as seen from the town of Roussillon.Īlthough the hill was probably climbed in prehistoric times, the first recorded ascent was by Jean Buridan, who, on his way to the papal court in Avignon before the year 1334, climbed Mont Ventoux "in order to make some meteorological observations".
Its isolated position overlooking the valley of the Rhône ensures that it dominates the entire region and can be seen from a long distance away on a clear day. The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees, which makes the mountain's barren peak appear from a distance to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually only lasts from December to April). It stands alone to the north of the Luberon range, separated by the Monts de Vaucluse, and just to the east of the Dentelles de Montmirail, its foothills. Mont Ventoux, although geologically part of the Alps, is often considered to be separate from them, due to the lack of mountains of a similar height nearby. In the 10th century, the names Mons Ventosus and Mons Ventorius appear. The real origins of the name are thought to trace back to the 1st or 2nd century CE, when it was named Vintur after a Gaulish god of the summits, or Ven-Top, meaning "snowy peak" in the ancient Gallic language. The road over the mountain is often closed due to high winds, especially the col des tempêtes ("storm pass") just before the summit, which is known for its strong winds. The wind blows at over 90 km/h (56 mph) for 240 days a year.
Īs the name might suggest ( venteux means windy in French), it can get windy at the summit, especially with the mistral wind speeds as high as 320 km/h (200 mph) have been recorded. It has gained fame through its inclusion in the Tour de France cycling race in 2009 it was the scene of the first penultimate-day mountain top finish in the Tour de France, with Alberto Contador sealing his yellow jersey. At 1,909 m (6,263 ft), it is the highest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Beast of Provence", the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald Mountain". On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. Mont Ventoux ( French: Provençal: Ventor ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse.