Mont Ventoux and "Dead Man's Pass" await in new pro race and granfondo

Details of a new one-day pro race finishing with an ascent of Mont Ventoux have been revealed. The new Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenges classic will take place on Monday 17th June 2019, one day after the Santini Granfondo Mont Ventoux.

Riders approach the iconic summit of Mont Ventoux. Photo: Olivier Borgognon

The two events are based in Vaison la Romaine as part of the Mont Ventoux Cycling Festival. While the pro's will do battle over a gruelling 185km parcours, amateur cyclists can choose from two routes of 135km and 78km for the granfondo which takes place on Sunday 16th June.

Both sportive distances finish with a climb to the summit of Mont Ventoux, but riders on the 135km will face a handful of testing warm-up climbs beforehand - including the eerily named Col de l'Homme Mort (Dead Man's Pass) at the 57km mark.

Topping out at 1213m with an average gradient of 4.9%, it's perhaps not as bad as its name suggests - but the real challenge will be saving energy for the final ascent, the iconic Tour de France climb of Mont Ventoux.

Parcours for the Santini Granfondo Mont Ventoux.

Mont Ventoux has featured in the Tour de France 16 times and hosted 10 summit finishes. It's a mountain steeped in history, but for cycling fans is perhaps best known as the climb where British rider Tom Simpson collapsed and tragically died during the 1967 Tour. A roadside memorial marks the spot where Tom fell, and many cyclists tackling the 21km climb pause to pay their respects.

Entries for the Santini GF Mont Ventoux are open now. The entry fee of €99 includes a Santini jersey designed especially for the event. For more details and to enter, visit www.gfmontventoux.com.