Mont Ventoux is one of the most distinctive and gruelling climbs in cycling and is famous for its regular appearances in the Tour De France. There are three routes that can be taken to ascent Mont Ventoux; Malaucène, Sault and the most popular route Bédoin. As well as being an unique and storied climb in cycling, the area is also renowned for its unique biological make-up and is classed as a UNESCO nature reserve.

When to ride Mont Ventoux

Due to Mont Ventoux’s unique barren landscape, conditions in the height of a warm summer can be incredibly difficult to ride in. Mont Ventoux translates as ‘windy mountain’ and the climb susceptible to the notoriously strong headwinds so it’s important to check the weather conditions on the day you choose to take on the climb. The best months to tackle Mont Ventoux is in April/May, when temperatures aren’t as warm.

Riding Mont Ventoux

Bédoin: The most traditional route to climb Mont Ventoux is south from Bédoin. This climb ascends 1,617 metres over 21.8 kilometres. This is regarded as the most difficult ascent, and is classed as one of the most difficult cycling climbs in France. The average ascent of the Bedoin route is 7.43%. Over the first 5km the gradient is relatively sedate at 3.9% until Saint-Estève. Thereafter, the remaining 16km has a much-tougher average gradient of 8.9% and due to the profile of the area, the last few kilometres can be tough due to weather conditions. Average ascent times can take anywhere between 1 hour and 2.5 hours depending on experience.

After the first 5-6km, you will enter the forest at les Bruns you pass into the forest. Here, the gradients increase to 9-10% and the road profile gets tougher with more bends and hairpins included.

Once you pass the 16km mark, the forests begin to fall away and the unique landscape of Mont Ventoux opens up, bringing with it the notoriously tough conditions. At the 20km mark you are reminded of the difficulty of this climb as you pass the Tom Simpson memorial. Entering the last kilometre, the views become truly extraordinary, and there’s just a 10% gradient to push through before you reach the peak and look back on a rewarding climb.

Malaucène: This route is approximately the same distance and height as Bédoin, but is slightly easier as the route is better sheltered by conditions.

Sault: This route is seen as the easiest route, with the shortest rise in height (1,210m) but the longest distance at 16 miles – this is as a result of an easier average ascent at approximately 4.4%. Where this route differs from the other two is that the start is already 750m above sea level, meaning a significant chunk of the climb has already been completed. The final 6km of this climb are the same route as Bédoin starting at Chalet Renard, so it’s important to be aware of the difficulties of that final kilometre, despite this route up Mont Ventoux being the easier climb.