Congratulations to friend, Jan McCready (of Santana Adventures) on her summit of Mont Ventoux, July 16, 2019, after a year of solid training. Beyond categorie, beyond beautiful. Chapeaux!
About Mont Ventoux (a/k/a the Beast of Provence):
- Elevation is 6,273′ which isn’t particularly high but you’re totally exposed when riding. Wind speeds of 200 mph have been recorded.
- The lack of vegetation doesn’t mean it’s above tree-line, rather, it is limestone which is not hospitable to trees.
- It has hosted summit finishes in 10 Tours de France, most recently 2016 (and won by Chris Froome).
- Average grade: 7.4
- Length: 21 km (13 miles)
- Rated: Hors Catégorie, a climb that is beyond categorization. This term was originally used for mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass.