Often linked to Marseille, Carcassonne or Narbonne, Montpellier added a completely different dimension to the 1951 Tour route with a stage that headed into Avignon via the ascent of Mont Ventoux. The “Giant of Provence” also featured on the itinerary between the Languedoc city and Carpentras in 1994, when Eros Poli rode to victory after a 170-kilometre solo breakaway. The last two stages to start in Montpellier concluded on the slopes of the Ventoux: a finish at Chalet Reynard in 2016, followed by Valentin Paret-Peintre’s victory at the summit in 2025. Although he didn’t reach those heights, Peter Sagan took advantage of the rolling terrain on the road to Albi to claim his only stage win of the 100th edition of the Tour in 2013.
- Stage town for the 34th time
- Prefecture of Hérault (34)
- Population: 311,000
- montpellier.fr
