Some climbs you ride, and then there’s Mont Ventoux, which you take on. Visible for dozens of kilometres around thanks to a bare white summit that looks permanently snow-capped, the “Giant of Provence” is one of the rare climbs where the scenery completely changes three times before you reach the top. It’s also one of cycling’s most mythical ascents, and the site of Tom Simpson’s tragic death during the 1967 Tour de France — his memorial stone sits about 1.5 km from the summit on the Bédoin side.
Three climbs, three different worlds
Ventoux is classically climbed from three sides: Bédoin (the hardest and most ridden), Malaucène (slightly easier but still demanding), and Sault (the longest but most approachable, with a gentle initial section). This guide focuses on the Bédoin route, the historic 21.5 km reference climb with 1,617 m of elevation gain, averaging 7.5%.
The climb splits into three distinct acts:
- Bédoin → Saint-Estève (0–6 km): a rolling false-flat through garrigue scrubland and vineyards — deceptively gentle compared to what follows.
- Saint-Estève → Chalet Reynard (6–15.5 km): the hardest section, through forest, regularly hitting 9–10% with no flat sections to recover on. This is where the climb is won or lost.
- Chalet Reynard → summit (15.5–21.5 km): you break out of the forest onto the lunar plateau of white limestone, where the wind can pick up violently. The gradient eases slightly, but exposure and wind more than make up for it.
How to approach the ride
The key to Ventoux from Bédoin is pacing through the forested section: many riders go out too hard on the opening false-flat and pay for it between kilometres 8 and 15. A compact setup (34x28 minimum) isn’t a luxury, even for strong climbers. Start with at least two full bottles — there’s no water point between Bédoin and Chalet Reynard, roughly two-thirds up, where you can refill and grab a snack.
Wind is Ventoux’s most unpredictable factor. The mistral can gust past 90 km/h at the summit even on a calm day down in the valley — a packable wind jacket in your back pocket is never overkill, especially for the descent, which can be freezing even in high summer.
When to climb it
The road is typically closed by snow from late November to April. The best window runs from May to September, with June and September preferred to avoid the crushing heat of July–August on the wooded section, where shade all but disappears past Chalet Reynard. An early start helps you dodge both the heat and the denser car traffic that builds up by late morning.
Good to know
Bédoin, at the foot of the climb, makes an excellent base camp: several bike rental shops, restaurants well used to hungry cyclists, and quick access to all three sides of Ventoux if you want to tackle multiple ascents over a few days. The village is also worth a stop for its Monday morning Provençal market.