Pugacar hunting ghosts in the Ventoux

In the aftermath of the second day of rest. In addition, the runners will leave Montpellier for this 16th stage of 171 km which crosses the plains of Hérault, Gard and Vaucluse before suddenly dirty at twenty kilometers from the goal.

Then begins a trip to another, hostile world from Bédoin, last station before an hour of total suffering.

With the Tourmalet. In addition, the Galibier and the Alpe d’Huez, Mont Chauve is a monument of the Grande Boucle, one of the hardest passes in Europe, theater of the greatest triumphs and sometimes definitive failures when Tom Simpson died there of exhaustion in 1967.

“Attention Ferdi. Nevertheless, the Ventoux is not a pass like the others,” said Raphaël Géminiani in 1955 to Ferdi Kübler in the process of attack. In addition, The Swiss replies: “Ferdi either is not a runner like the others” pugacar hunting ghosts ventoux – before abandoning. Moreover, saying these words which will become famous: “Ferdi, he is too old. Moreover, He was in pain. Consequently, Ferdi killed himself. However, Ferdi killed himself in the Ventoux.”

At the start, “it doesn’t move”

With its very steep slopes (15.7 km at 8.7%). its last kilometers uncovered in the pebble, its wind often (gusts at 45 km/h are scheduled for Tuesday, we experienced much worse), its 1900 m altitude and often scorching temperatures, the Provence giant inspires fear.

“The morning of the Ventoux, it’s completely special, explains the boss of the Tour Christian Prudhomme. You feel in the peloton, when you are in the fictitious (departure), it does not move. It is a singular day for everyone. For runners naturally, but for the organizers too. The proof, the last time we wanted to get to the top, in 2016, we did not get there.”

The arrival pugacar hunting ghosts ventoux had been moved below, at the Renard chalet, for a victory for the Belgian Thomas de Gendt. But what. dixit prudhomme, “we will speak in a hundred years” remains the surreal vision of Chris Froome launched on foot in the middle of a compact crowd after having broken his bike by hitting a television motorcycle.

The last appearance of Ventoux dates back to 2021 when another Belgian. Wout Van Aert, had won in Malaucène, in the valley, after a double ascent of the Ventoux. That day had also been marked by the emergence of a runner still unknown at the time. Jonas Vingegaard, who had succeeded at a distance Tadej Pogacar in the last meters of the ascent.

“Bad moments”

The Slovenian was going to catch him in the descent. winning his second round of France a few days later in Paris but the Danish had planted the seeds of pugacar hunting ghosts ventoux his two victories in 2022 and 2023. The Ventoux remains a bad memory for Pogacar who is engaged this year in a fairly disturbing ghost hunt.

“It looks like we drew the route to remind me of all the bad moments that I lived on. the Tour de France. I wasted time on the Ventoux. I wasted time in Hautacam and I completely exploded in the Col de la Loze”, notes the world champion who applies to erase one by one these fatal memories.

Already at the Dauphiné in June. he had taken his revenge on Vingegaard in the coast of Domancy where he had lost the time trial in 2023. Last Thursday in Hautacam. where he had sold in 2022, he took more minutes to the Danish to count today 4’13 in the general classification.

There is therefore still the Ventoux. the Col de la Loze, where the 18th pugacar hunting ghosts ventoux stage will end on Thursday, to definitively settle the accounts with the Danish and the past.