Mont Ventoux will enter Tour de France Femmes history on Friday, with the general classification battle finely balanced before stage 7.
The race has already visited the Col du Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez and the Col de la Madeleine in previous editions. Now it adds the Géant of Provence for the first time.
Race director Marion Rousse called Mont Ventoux “emblematic” on Wednesday. She also said the climb could help the race “write history in women’s cycling.”
That claim fits the scale of Friday’s challenge. The 147km stage through Provence reaches the summit by the Bédoin side, the hardest of Ventoux’s three main approaches.
Officials confirmed Wednesday that the stage would go ahead as planned despite earlier wildfire concerns. Several roadside sections will stay closed to spectators.
Mont Ventoux brings the race’s hardest climb yet
The peloton will reach the foot of Ventoux after around 130km of gently rolling roads. From there, the race changes completely.
The lower slopes bite immediately through the forest, with roughly 8km at a relentless 8-10 percent gradient. The gradient eases slightly higher up, but the climb offers little comfort.
Above Chalet Reynard, the road crosses Ventoux’s exposed limestone landscape. Wind and heat can punish riders there, while the summit weather station remains visible long before the finish.
The summit sits near 1,900 meters, making the climb both physical and psychological. There are few bends to disrupt the rhythm or help riders recover.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney expects the decisive racing to start well before the final kilometers. She noted before the Tour that the forest section contains the steepest part.
She also expects the women’s fastest known time on the Bédoin ascent to fall. Illi Gardner set the current Strava QOM of 1:09:29 in May 2025.
Reusser, Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney face a defining test
After Thursday’s stage 6 across the Ardèche, the yellow jersey contest has narrowed sharply.
Marlen Reusser leads Demi Vollering by 12 seconds. Niewiadoma-Phinney sits third overall, another 1:15 behind Vollering.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s title defense has lost momentum after difficulties on Tuesday and Wednesday. She now trails the maillot jaune by five minutes.
Even a climbing display like her 2025 attack on the Madeleine would not fully revive her GC position. Ventoux now looks set to define the race among the leading three.
Vollering needs time on Reusser before Sunday’s final stage. She cannot rely only on the repeated Col d’Eze climbs on the Côte d’Azur.
Reusser has looked strong throughout the race, and shorter climbs may suit her better than longer Alpine-style ascents. Ventoux, however, presents a different problem.
Historically, Reusser rates as the least pure climber of the three main contenders. Yet the climb’s steady effort could favor her time trial strength.
Niewiadoma-Phinney starts farther back and may need to race aggressively. Her climbing style makes a long-range attack a real possibility if the pace opens early.
Vollering still appears best placed to turn Ventoux into a decisive advantage. She gained 56 seconds on Reusser on the 17km Colle Dell Finestre at the Giro Women in June.
The FDJ-Suez leader also enters the stage after winning stage 5 on Wednesday. After that victory, she said Reusser would not be easy to beat.
Vollering has already won the Tour, as has Niewiadoma-Phinney. Reusser has not, which adds another layer to Friday’s tactical equation.
Ventoux rarely produces controlled racing when the stakes are high. On Friday afternoon, the Tour de France Femmes reaches its most feared summit yet.
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