Stage 16 Breakdown:

Stage 16 take the riders on a 171km journey from Montpellier to the legendary Mount Ventoux. The race is flat for the first 135km or so, before they start a shallow climb toward the base of the mountain. They enter the base via the town of Bedoin and officially start the climb up Mount Ventoux after 155km. The final climb up is 15.7km long and has an average gradient of 8.8% but with no less than 7 sections (kilometres) having a gradient of over 9%.

The summit of Mount Ventoux is located at an elevation of 1910m and is known for its moonly appearance due to its limestone cover and lack of vegetation. The name Ventoux likely originate from the french word “Venteux” which mean “Windy” in french. Mistral winds create very windy conditions at the top, with winds above 90km/h measured 240 days in a year, and in some cases reaching as high as 320km/h.

This is the first stage after the 2nd rest day so the riders should be fairly rested, all things considered. This is the final week of the Tour and the last few stages for the riders to make any changes in the classification. Pogacar may have all but secured the yellow jersey, but there are still battles to be had for the remaining places and jerseys. There is also a chance for a breakaway if they’re given enough space ahead of the final climb. Never want to miss a Mount Ventoux stage!

Favorites:
| +++ | Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Florian Lipowitz
| ++ | Felix Gall, Michael Woods, Lenny Martinez
| + | Thymen Arensman, Santiago Buitrago, Sepp Kuss