Roughly translated Ventoux means "always windy" and the col has been the scene of many a Tour de France story including the unfortunate death of Tom Simpson the British rider.
The stage was 140km long with around 2,900m of climbing with 1,550m being Ventoux itself.
There were a couple of long drags to negotiate in the first 100km until you hit the only other notable climb of the day the Col de Notre Dame which was 8.5km @ 3%.
My plan was to get into a reasonable group and stick with them to my targeted feed station at 71km,
The morning was clear and bright but quite cold so I decided to start with my light rain jacket on, this was a mistake! The whole field took off from the start and the pace was very high, I got in a decent group and clung on but the sun soon warmed things up and I knew I was overheating in the rain jacket but I didn't want to lose this group as it was a good pace and I knew there wasn't another decent one behind but it became too much, if I dehydrated now I wouldn't make the end so there was nothing else for it but to stop have a pee and remove the jacket, I knew I would not make it back to the group but hoped another decent one would form behind and catch me up, I was isolated, I knew they would only be 500m or so ahead but I was losing ground all the time, it was then that a Mavic service car came up and passed me, slowed down and waved out of his window, I didn't know what was happening, was something wrong with my bike? He slowed some more and was waving again when the penny dropped, he wanted me to get in behind him so he could pace me back to the group in front! I tucked in close to his bumper and yelled Allez! And off we went, it didn't take long until I was within sprinting distance of the group so he pulled aside and I did my best Cav impression to get back onto the the rear of the group! I could have kissed him!
The next 30km was quick until we reached the feed station at 71km where I refuelled and set off again with another reasonable group, after 10km there it was away in the distance this massive mountain with what looked like a sandy beach near the summit and a lighthouse on top, it was very foreboding.
We hit the Notre Dame climb and the group splintered, it was now every man for himself until the climb of Ventoux. As you get closer to it Ventoux gets more frightening because you can see it in it's entirety, I instantly thought "I've got to get up there!" There was a tricky technical descent before we got to Bedoin and the start of the climb, I remember thinking "I don't think I want to do this" but away I went.
The first 4km aren't too bad at around 6% but the next 11 km are at an unrelenting 9%, there is no let up in the legs, you then get a 2km of 5% at Chalet Reynard until the last 3km back up at 8 & 9% again.
I took it easy on the bottom then got into my "survival" rhythm for the tough middle section, it was getting hot and I noticed I was low on water, I had planned for a splash & dash at Chalet Reynard but I knew with a sinking feeling I could not make the water last that long, I kept going......
After around 8km of the climb I had a dribble of water left and one of the medic teams came up on their bike, these guys went up and down the field all day long making sure we were all ok. I noticed it was Monique on the back of the bike who I had met at one of the briefings so I shouted "Monique de l'eau, de l'eau!!!" I must have sounded desperate as I saw her say something to the driver then give me a thumbs up and off they went, about 1km up the road there she was standing on the side with a bottle, I quickly opened my bidon and held it out as I went past, she jogged along side and poured it all in! Bless her!!! I was back in the game! This have me a huge mental boost and I increased my speed.
I got to Chalet Reynard and there was Marvin ready with my water, we swopped bottles and he stuffed a couple of gels in my back pocket, "take one now and the other with 3km to go" gotcha I replied and I was off on the last bit of the climb. A little way past Chalet Reynard you come out of the trees onto this barren almost lunar landscape and you are totally exposed to the wind, thankfully there wasn't much. As you come round the corner with 3km to go the rest of the climb opens up and you see the finish and let me tell you it looks like it's 20km away not 3km, I must admit my spirits flagged a bit as the gradient ramped up again!
I slogged on when who should appear on her way back down? Yep Chrissie Wellington, she saw me and shouted "DB! DB! You got this! nearly there" well that was it, that was all the lift I needed!
The next thing I knew there were crowds lining both sides of the climb and I came around the last corner to be directed down the finishing Shute! I even managed an out of the saddle sprint over the line! Mont Ventoux.......done! It had taken me 1:54 but I was at the top!
1 STAGE LEFT!!!!!! COME ON!!!!!
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