Mont Ventoux Video Diary - Ready for Tour 2013

russell_in_france

From the rumours, the Tour de France will climb the Mont Ventoux in 2013 and with chances of riding in the mountains running out this year, I took the car to down to Provence with a couple of friends for a ride up the Mont Ventoux. It's been a few years since I've ridden up there. Very nice weather for October and perfect for the climb with no wind until the last few hundred metres, although it was a little cool for the first few kilometres of the descent.

We rode a 75km loop from Beaumes-de-Venise, riding across to Bedoin and then up the southern side of the Mont Ventoux. Afterwards, we descended to Malaucene before climbing over to Suzette and back to the car.

You can see the video diary of the ascent here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7UPLd1bxyc

Cheers, Russell
www.grenoblecycling.com

pdstsp

Brilliant - that brings back many happy (in retrospect) memories - looks a fabulous day - that a ride I've done a couple of times, though starting in Carpentras and taking in Vaison la Romaine too after the descent to Malaucene - the most fantastic cycling country. Thanks for posting - its piddling down here and I'm riding to 60 miles to Morecambe in the rain later so I'm going to sear your video onto my eyeballs to cheer me up.

BobScarle

Fantastic ride. Mont Ventoux is one of my ambitions and has been ever since I started reading about Tom Simpson, need to shed a lot more weight before I attempt it though. Looked like you had a great day for it. 7.3% is fairly easy, or it is until you realise that that is an average over 22Km.

exlaser

BobScarle wrote:

Fantastic ride. Mont Ventoux is one of my ambitions and has been ever since I started reading about Tom Simpson, need to shed a lot more weight before I attempt it though. Looked like you had a great day for it. 7.3% is fairly easy, or it is until you realise that that is an average over 22Km.

can i say one thing. train, train and train some more.

did it last year, 2 and a half hours of pain, pain and more pain( not enough training! )

still it was the best thing i have ever done on a bike.

durhamwasp

Did the Cingles a couple of years back with loads of training, and done a load of Alpine climbing since. Went back and did Ventoux this summer, and it is by far the hardest and best climb of the lot! And most people you speak to in Bedoin seem to agree!
Got my 2yr old daughter up to see Tom :-)

chrisaonabike

Russell in France wrote:

You can see the video diary of the ascent here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7UPLd1bxyc

Inspiration.

bobinski

Great video! How does the ride compare to Cormet de Roseland from Bourg St Maurice? Anyone done them both? Nearly the same distance and gradient.

DavidCr

bobinski wrote:

Great video! How does the ride compare to Cormet de Roseland from Bourg St Maurice? Anyone done them both? Nearly the same distance and gradient.

IMO if you can get up the Cormet de Roselend you should be able to manage Mont Ventoux but I do also think that Ventoux is more difficult. The climb is deceptive because it looks small compared to the mountains around here, the difference is you ride to the summit rather than over a col.

russell_in_france

Thanks for the comments all.

The Mont Ventoux is longer and steeper than the Cormet de Roselend. I'd include both in my top 10 climbs in the Alps. The Roselend is very pretty and rugged with great mountain views.

Roselend from Bourg St Maurice is 19km at an average of 6% with 1150m of vertical climb. Ventoux from Bedoin is just under 23km at an average of 7.1% with 1,620m of vertical climb. There aren't many like the Ventoux, especially if it's windy.

Cheers, Russell

bobinski

Thanks Both.

Roseland is pretty much my favourite climb so far. Did it 3 times last summer as much for the views as to measure my fitness.

I also did the Col D'Iseran last year from Bourg, 48km and I recall a fair bit of climbing but it doesnt really get tough until you pass Tignes and then more so past Val d'isere, where most people seemed to be starting from. I needed a point of comparision before going for a solo effort up Ventoux in the spring and you have both helped.

cheers

davidof

bobinski wrote:

Great video! How does the ride compare to Cormet de Roseland from Bourg St Maurice? Anyone done them both? Nearly the same distance and gradient.

I've done the Ventoux a few times, including last October with a 100kp/h mistral and I cycled up the Roselend on Tuesday with a foot of snow either side of the road. They are probably more or less equivalent. About 2 hours to the top for someone reasonably fit. No really steep sections on the Albertville side of the Roselend. The Ventoux has a bit of steep in the woods (that famous right hander, dunno if it is in Russel's video) but I road with a 39x25 okish.

bobinski

Davidof,

That sounds a little windy!

I managed Roseland in 1h 30 according to strava though I stopped at the high point and foolishly didn,t continue to the lake. I think I will take a 28 to Ventoux, it is a little steeper.I would have preferred to have ridden Roseland tuesday in the snow, must have been great. It was extremely hot when I rode there this summer and got through 2 bottles of water not least trying to keep cool.

davidof

I've been riding either 34x28 or 34x30 this season although didn't go above 34x24 for the Roselend but round near by house I need the x28 or x30 at times.

milton50

Cheers for sharing, Russell. Brilliant video.

Ands

I can feel the pain just watching it Great video

Before I set out husband said "once you've got to Chalet Reynard you've broken the back of it." Going up through the forest I just kept telling myself I only had to get to km 15 and it would get easier - definitely true - so much easier after Chalet Reynard (except last 1km which went very steep again). Vowed I would never do it again though...and then did it again 2 days later.

sfichele

Great video!

bigpikle

thanks - not been there yet but your video seems to give a good feel for it, except the wind and heat I guess!

good weather for early Oct or is that normal for that area?

durhamwasp

Ands wrote:

I can feel the pain just watching it Great video

Before I set out husband said "once you've got to Chalet Reynard you've broken the back of it." Going up through the forest I just kept telling myself I only had to get to km 15 and it would get easier - definitely true - so much easier after Chalet Reynard (except last 1km which went very steep again). Vowed I would never do it again though...and then did it again 2 days later.

Totally the case, get through the forest section to CR and you've as good as done it. That last 500m is as tough as they come, but the finish line is in sight (tho not the day i did it this year, couldnt see 5metres ahead - and a car was parked on the final hairpin for some crazy reason)

Tom Butcher

Did it a couple of times this year. First time on road bikes from Bedoin. Second time went over on family holiday and rode a long route 2 hours from Avignon on a cheap MTB and went up the unpaved track which turns off the road from Bedoin in the woods and comes out (the way I did it) a few kms from the summit on the Malaucene side. That was hard - 5 hours all in from Avignon - partly because it was 95 degrees and I ran out of juice and had no idea how much further I had to go on this deserted track. I'd really recommend giving that a go if you've got a MTB or even a touring bike with tough tyres.

Then had to ride back down to Chalet Reynard (crepe and a lager never tasted so good) and accompany 10 year old son riding up to the top again - was early evening by the time we finished and we were about the only people up there. Best bit was my son's face when he made it to the top.

Tom Butcher

oh and if you are in the area you MUST do the gorge road - descend Ventoux to Sault (?) and then back along the edge of the Gorge du Nesque (sp?) - absolutely stunning road.