The 2025 Tour de France received its first French winner as Valentin Paret-Peintre claimed Tuesday’s summit finish on Mont Ventoux, the legendary Giant of Provence, famous for Chris Froome’s 2016 run, infamous for Tom Simpson’s 1967 death. The Soudal-QuickStep rider won out of a successful breakaway, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard finishing together 43 seconds later. Michael Woods lit out in his fourth breakaway of the 2025 edition.
The GC Situation Going Into the Final Week
1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 54:20:44
2) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike) +4:13
3) Florian Lipowitz (Germany/Red Bull) +7:53
4) Oscar Onley (Australia/Picnic-PostNL) +9:18
5) Kévin Vauquelin (France/Arkea-B&B Hotels) +10:21
Vingegaard had a lot of time to make up on the yellow jersey. Lipowitz’s podium spot and white jersey were protected from Oscar “One And” Onley by nearly a minute and a half. Vauquelin was crowded by Primož Roglič 13 seconds back.
The Course
It’s the first time Mont Ventoux acted as a Tour summit finish since 2013. It was last conquered by Julian Alaphilippe and Wout van Aert in the double climb of the 2021 edition.
The profile was shaped like a scythe. Tuesday’s first 155 kms were flat ones through the Rhône Valley. Bald beast Ventoux is 15.7 km of 8.8 percent. The toughest gradients are in the forest, but the exposed final 6 km factors in the wind. It was another scorching day.
Image by La Flamme Rouge
It was exceedingly difficult for those who wanted to be Tuesday’s fugitives. A trio was brought back with 100 km to go after many attempts from the peloton to join it. A much larger move containing Ben Healy and Woods replaced it. Pogačar and Vingegaard both had teammates in the new breakaway. This mob split on the way to the intermediate sprint at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The gap back to the peloton ballooned. Could the break make it?
Mont Ventoux
⛰️ PROFILE – MONT VENTOUX ⛰️📏15,7 km🥵 8,8 %2️⃣0️⃣ KOM points#TDF2025 | #TDFLive
— Tour de France (@letourfr.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T13:19:06.294Z
The order of battle: six riders including Alaphilippe, three-time Vuelta a España runner-up Enric Mas, Stage 14 winner Thyren Arensman; the Healy-Woods chase +1:30; peloton +6:30. An enthusiastic reception was laid on in Bédoin.
On the long drag leading to the climb proper, the riders at…
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