Tour de France Tour de France 2025, Stage 16: Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, 171.5 km

[topcat]

Does the winner of the intermediate sprint get a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape? The sprint is quite late in the stage. Just saying.

 

[Gratemans]

Does the winner of the intermediate sprint get a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape? The sprint is quite late in the stage. Just saying.

Is that you Jonathan?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Hoooollllup, did someone say Chateauneuf du Pape?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvRBUw_Ls2o&ab_channel=BeastieBoysVEVO

 

[Cookster15]

Finally Ventoux is here! Seems like an inevitable Pog stomp. But Jonas has good memories from 2021 and he normally gets better in the 3rd week with a good preparation. He has had a good preparation this year so let’s see!

 

[Rob5091]

If Pogi wants a win on Ventoux, then this stage will be over early, or if he wants to take it easy (he is over 4 minutes up on Vingegaard) then it'll be a sprint up the last km or so.
Wednesday's stage is a easy day, so maybe UAE will go all thermonuclear, so the team can sail into Paris without worries.

 

[Cookster15]

A unipuerto stage with an epic MTF which should be easy for the GC teams to control before the big showdown.

Vingo will keep trying to crack Pogacar all the way to Paris. Reminds me of the 2022 Tour but opposite roles. Jonas will fail but it will keep the race interesting. I am with @Krzysztof_O - Pogacar to weather Vingegaard's attempts on the 10% pitches through the forest then counter to take a further 40-60s. Pogi is just too strong.

Crowds should be huge just hope they don't get in the riders' way.

 

[solo80k]

What I expect... Tadej by 1 minute over Jonas and others.

 

[Peyroteo94]

A unipuerto stage with an epic MTF which should be easy for the GC teams to control before the big showdown.

Vingo will keep trying to crack Pogacar all the way to Paris. Reminds me of the 2022 Tour but opposite roles. Jonas will fail but it will keep the race interesting. I am with @Krzysztof_O - Pogacar to weather Vingegaard's attempts on the 10% pitches through the forest then counter to take a further 40-60s. Pogi is just too strong.

Crowds should be huge just hope they don't get in the riders' way.

He will attack between 8-7 km to the top of Ventoux.

 

[peterfin]

I will be watching at the base of the climb so I hope they attack immediately. I expect Tadej to win with a broad smile while crossing the line.

 

[assisting]

Crowds should be huge just hope they don't get in the riders' way.

I've seen video from 07/18 where starting at Chalet Reynard fences are up on both sides (which would be 6km to go?). Higher up there are none - yet I guess.

 

[Rob5091]

I've seen video from 07/18 where starting at Chalet Reynard fences are up on both sides (which would be 6km to go?). Higher up there are none - yet I guess.

It was bad enough when Froome did his run for glory and LRP went face first into a TV camera, so in this age of the fanboys, it could be pretty alarming.

 

[Boehmand]

It's not really a stage that invites much in the way of tactics, because of the lack of difficulty until the climb.

Visma will drill it from the bottom to find out if Pogacar is on a good day. If he is not all hell breaks loose, if he is things will settle until the last 4-5K where Vingegaard will try a time or two - and eventually one of them (likely Pogacar) might get 30-40 seconds on the other.

The Courchevel stage is where Vingegaard tries to go long range with multiple people out front.

 

[veganrob]

It was bad enough when Froome did his run for glory and LRP went face first into a TV camera, so in this age of the fanboys, it could be pretty alarming.

LRP. 😂 Thanks. Rob5091. That made my day.

 

[YavorD]

I guess Visma will try to set the pace early on the climb to try and get rid of Narvaez, so that Pogacar doesn't have such a lead-out later on.
If they leave UAE to lead the pace, they will probably have a comfortable pace for Narvaez to do his thing.
And if Pogacar gets away before Chalet Reynard, he will probably gain a minute as he should have an advantage in the headwind section.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Just watched the profile. Looks like another flat stage with a murito at the end.

 

[dgodave]

How's the wind on the climb? Has been known to somewhat kill the racing sometimes.....

I expect the wind to be quite ventoux.

(Not that Ive seen any actual forecasts. Something just gives me that sense. Not sure what.)

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Petrarch wrote during his Ascent of Mount Ventoux in April 1336

The mountain is a very steep and almost inaccessible mass of stony soil.
But, as the poet has well said, "Remorseless toil conquers all."
It was a long day, the air fine.
We enjoyed the advantages of vigour of mind and strength and agility of body,

 

[zlev11]

what's the wind forecast?

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Mont Ventoux reminds me mostly of Chris Froome , doing the 100m dash or the 'washing machine' cycling

But also Mikel Nieve 'helping' Contador

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Remind me about the second?

Mont Ventoux reminds me mostly of Chris Froome , doing the 100m dash or the 'washing machine' cycling

But also Mikel Nieve 'helping' Contador

 

[ice&fire]

For me the words Ventoux and Froome remind me of that 2016 day when it was more dangerously ventoux than usual

 

[QueenStagiaire]

what's the wind forecast?

Northwest so headwind on the exposed section, notable wind on the mountain obviously but no really strong winds.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

For me the words Ventoux and Froome remind me of that 2016 day when it was more dangerously ventoux than usual

Good times, good times.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Mont Ventoux reminds me mostly of Chris Froome , doing the 100m dash or the 'washing machine' cycling

But also Mikel Nieve 'helping' Contador

Wasn't there also an endless discussion after on whether there had been a tailwind? I might be confusing it with another edition of Froome on Ventoux...

 

[masking_agent]

Great stage. I'm predicting, Pogi will launch his attack 22km from the finish and go solo on do it in 54mins