It’s possibly the most famous climb in cycling, but Mont Ventoux still has some surprises in store, including this route that takes in the stunning and rarely visited Les Gorges de la Nesque
Words JOSEPH DELVES Photography MATT BEN STONE
The opening scene of Keith Floyd’s 1987 series Floyd On France begins with the restaurateur and bon vivant rattling through Les Gorges de la Nesque in an open-topped Citroën. His mission is to educate lumpen Brits on the gastronomic and cultural wonders of Provence, and three decades later it would seem he has succeeded. Nowadays, I’d be pushed to find a compatriot who wasn’t familiar with the joys of ratatouille, bouillabaisse or aioli. Nor would I be able to find a cyclist who didn’t know the name of Mont Ventoux.
The Giant of Provence looms larger than any peak in the history of cycling. Sitting in isolation, Ventoux’s famously barren upper reaches, HC status and storied inclusions in the Tour de France make it a superstar among mountains. Add in the doomed romance of Tom Simpson, who died just short of the summit in 1967, and its mythical status is secured.
Eulogised consistently since the poet Petrarch wandered up it during the 14th century, Ventoux is a mountain that has spawned a mountain of writing, plenty of it in this magazine. Cyclist has visited its slopes on numerous occasions, but we are always on the hunt for new and intriguing approaches to old favourites, and in Les Gorges de la Nesque we think we’ve found it.
Whenever the Tour de France tackles Mont Ventoux, it usually favours dragging riders up to its peak from the town of Bédoin at its southern edge. There have, on occasion, been ascents via the communes of Malaucène and Sault as well, but what it has never done is take the path up Les Gorges de la Nesque, meaning it bypasses one of the most picturesque roads in Europe. This strikes me as a mistake.
There is a benefit to this oversight, however. The route’s lack of exposure means that on the morning Cyclist passes through, we have it almost entirely to ourselves. Threading through gaps punched into the valley’s sides or pinned to its vertiginous balconies perched above sheer cliffs, I’d opt for seclusion and scenery over celebrity status any day.
Breakfast in Bédoin
Our day starts traditionally enough with coffee and croissants in Bédoin. From here, we join the throngs heading down the D974 to begin the standard approach to Ventoux, but we won’t be staying with them for long.
Just outside of Bédoin, with our ride barely underway, we make a pilgrimage to one of cycling’s more unusual landmarks. Sittin
