Mont Ventoux is located Bédoin, France. Although best known as the starting point of the Mont Ventoux climb, it's also known for its vineyards and lavender fields.
Our Airbnb was located in the center of the town of Bedoin. We loved being able to walk out the apartment door and stroll the streets. Even though there were cyclists everywhere, it did not feel touristy or crowded. There was cycling memorabilia in lots of stores and plenty of options for souvenirs. The town felt very safe. We were able to walk to the grocery store and there were several places to eat (with a few bakeries for fresh bread and ice cream shops). There is a local pool in town (Bedion Municipal) but we drove 20 minutes away to swim at the Carpentras pool as I wasn't sure if the local pool had lane lines (the Carpentras pool had a few flimsy lane lines until the kids came around 2pm and then the lane lines were removed. Although the town features cyclists from around the world, I found that the owners of stores and restaurants did not speak much English so we used google translate when needed.
Mont Ventoux was recently put on the cycling map (again) after Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney made a solo attack up Mont Ventoux to claim her first career stage win in the Tour de Femmes and took the yellow jersey.
Mont Ventoux is also known for its moon-like summit. Because of human logging and intense natural weather, the original trees were stripped away and new soil and plants have not been able to grow on the exposed limestone rock. Mont = mountain. Ventoux = vent (or wind). Although Mont Ventoux is not incredibly high like the summits in the Alps, it does sit at 6270 feet. It's also known as the Giant of Provence or Bald Mountain. The distinctive red and white tower on the mountain is a weather station. There is a gift shop/store on the top of the mountain and like many notable climbs, you will have independent photographers taking your picture for online purchase.
There are three sides to climb Mont Ventoux. There is also a known challenge called "Cingles du Mont Ventoux" (translated the Mont Ventoux crazed) for anyone who wants to be included in the club (and to receive a certificate) of climbing all 3 sides in one day.
1) From Bédoin (South): 13.4 miles, ~5300 feet. Average gradient between 7.5-8.3%. This is the most famous side that is featured in the TdF/Femmes and is known as the most brutal route. I personally found the Northwest side to be the most challenging but then again, I climbed the South side as my first ride up. The climb begins immediately after you leave the town (there are signs in each town that show the distance to the top to signify the official starting point) and you make your way through a steep forest. No matter what side you climb, you will see cars, runners (yes!) and lots of cyclists. After you pass Chalet Reynard (which is a good stoping point if you need to refill your bottle or get a snack/rest), you will finally see the landscape change. You may also encounter a herd of goats and the occasional horse or cow on the side of the road.
From Malaucène (Northwest): 13.4 miles,~5100 feet. Average gradient between 7.6-7.8%. This side is deceiving as it starts out with a few steep pitches outside of the town and then you settle into a gradient that feels more comfortable for smooth riding. And then around mile 6, the gradient really kicks up and the road stays straight. There are very few switchbacks on this side so it is a constant grind for several miles. You don't see the top until you get to around 1-2 miles to go and at that point, you know you are almost there, despite the gradient still making the climb challenging.
From Sault (East): 16 miles, ~3900 feet. Average gradient 4.4-4.9%. The is known as the "easiest" side but don't let that fool you into thinking it's going to be a quick climb. This is the longest climb from the town of Sault and it's a slog for a few miles as you go through the lavender fields as the road is exposed and it can feel windy. Around mile 6, the gradient starts to mellow out until mile 10. At this point, you join the Bédoin route at Chalet Reynard and finish the final 6K (3.75 miles) and ~1627 feet to reach the summit. Of note, it can get windy (and chilly/cold) on the top so check the weather forecast so you are prepared.
Here's my strava file from our impromptu attempt of all three sides.
In addition to climbing Mont Ventoux, we also biked on The Gorges de la Nesque route. It's a very scenic route (~12 mile stretch). As you bike on this paved, narrow road carved into the steep limestone cliffs (with grades around 2-3%) you get some amazing views. Although the car traffic was not heavy for us (we only saw a few cars) the road is extremely narrow so be careful on the tight/blind turns.
We did this route from Bedoin to Malaucene (North side) up to Mont Ventoux and then descended to Sault and went through the Gorges back to Bedoin. The map includes a climb back up MV which we did not do.
There is a very beautiful gentle climb towards Malaucene called Col de La Madeleine which is 3.9 miles and has 561 feet of climbing if you are looking for a short ride or climb with beautiful views. We also did this route from Bedoin to the Gorges and then to Sault. The route includes a climb back up to MV which we didn't do. We descended down the South side back to Bedoin.
