I want my MtV - Mt Ventoux

One week on the road visiting customers and a few more days in Italy to come. But before - weekend and time to do nice rides. The basic plan quite easy. One big hit on friday, saturday travel day and sunday another classic ride. The weather ment it different tough and so friday was working day waiting for saturday and time to do the holy mountain - Mt Ventoux.

Based in Carpentras, at around 100m above sea level, a nice little town in the western Provence the basic landscape is pretty flat and you do not expect one of the classic and hard climbs part of Tour de France. But after around 20k hilly upwards to the east i was just in front of it - Mt Ventoux, the dominator, 1910m above seal level.

21 kilometer with an average gradient of 7,6% i choosed the classic and hardest climb starting from Bedoin which is classified as a so called "Horse Category". Many riders were there as many events take place during the season. I tried to find my rhythm to not overpower from the start and to make my way until the end without collapsing.

After the flat and some vineyards of Cotes du Ventoux i entered the revitalised Zedar and Fir forrest. To build ships for the Ancien Regime in the 18th century the forrest on the mountain was cleared. This is why you find a big rock field on top which results in his nick name "The bald mountain". More and more i entered the phase of leaving the forrest. At Le Chalet Reynard then, the merge of the Bedoin and the Sault climb, the landscape starts to get bald. Still 6k to go this is now the part to enjoy the great view as long you are not hit by strong winds which are usual in summer, called Mistral. I was lucky as we did not have any wind. So i could enjoy my ride towards the big and typical transmitter tower on top of the mountain - coming closer and closer. Reaching the top was awesome but i had to share Mt Ventoux with a few hundered more. A never ending view into the flat and the road i just came up.

Going down Mt Ventoux is as exciting as up eventhough quicker. A great view to the north and Malaucene at the end. I did the ride back to Bedoin over little Col de la Madeleine 448m and had a coffee and cake in a little cafe named Foody Cafe with has a fox as a logo. But i also bought a Jersey this time to remember my first climb on the holy mountain - Mt Ventoux.

bike: Pretty Betty Specialized Tarmac S-Works

starring: Gerry Samer