Finishes on Mont Ventoux have almost always left their mark on history, from the time trial won by Charly Gaul in 1958 through to Chris Froome’s show of force when he annihilated the competition on the way to his first Tour success in 2013, via the tragedy of Tom Simpson’s death in 1967, the success taken by the completely exhausted Eddy Merckx in 1970, and Jean-François Bernard’s seizure of power in another time trial in 1987. The last finish, in 2016, was the most incredible, though. The weather conditions forced the organisers to bring the finish down from the summit to Chalet Reynard, where Thomas De Gendt won from the breakaway group. In his wake, the chaos amidst the packed crowds led to Chris Froome momentarily abandoning his bike and continuing the climb on foot! A veritable one-off.
- Stage finish for the 11th time
- Summit (1,912m) in the Monts de Vaucluse in the Alps (84)
