All roads lead to Paris—at least in the Tour de France, except for the 2024 edition—and the French capital is both near and yet extremely far. On Sunday, before a well-deserved rest day, the peloton entered the final 1,000 kilometres of the 112th Tour, which started in Lille two weeks ago (almost an eternity) and will reach Paris at the end of the week. They have covered 70% of the kilometres on this year’s course, 60% of the elevation, racked up glorious successes and faced intense struggles, and Paris is now all but in sight. But what does that mean, with gruelling challenges lying ahead? As soon as Tuesday, they’ll be able to see the summit of Mont Ventoux from afar. And yet they’ll know how hard it will be to get past these brutal slopes: first through the forest, then on the wind-exposed final 6 kilometres after Chalet Reynard.
Tadej Pogacar can tell you how punishing this ascent os, especially from Bedoin. In 2021, he was ruling the Tour when he had to face not one, but two ascents of Mont Ventoux, from different sides. Wout van Aert was headed for an iconic success, and Jonas Vingegaard managed to distance Pogacar by 38 seconds. It proved anecdotal, as the Slovenian caught his Danish rival on the descent. But it stirs fantasies: can Vingegaard get away from Pogacar on Tuesday, or will the latter take revenge, as he did on Hautacam and as he dreams of doing at Col de la Loze? The answer will be a decisive step toward Paris.
