VALENTIN Paret-Peintre claimed a momentous victory on Mont Ventoux, becoming the first French stage winner at this year’s Tour de France.
The climber triumphed over Ben Healy in a sprint finish atop the iconic “Beast of Provence,” marking the first French win on the mountain since Richard Virenque in 2002. Paret-Peintre expressed immense joy, stating the victory on Ventoux was “something completely different” and would take time to sink in.
Race leader Tadej Pogačar further solidified his advantage, finishing fifth on the stage, two seconds ahead of main rival Jonas Vingegaard.
Despite repeated attacks from Vingegaard, Pogačar remained resilient, extending his overall lead to 4 minutes, 15 seconds.
The defending champion now eyes a fourth Tour de France title as the race heads towards its Paris finale on Sunday (Monday, July 28, 2025, PH time), seemingly unstoppable against the 2022 and 2023 winner.
Stage 16, a 171.5-kilometer route from Montpellier, culminated in the brutal ascent of Ventoux. The climb, notorious for the 1967 death of Tom Simpson, featured a grueling 15.7-kilometer stretch at an 8.8 percent incline.
Early attacks from Wout van Aert sparked a breakaway that saw six riders at the base of the climb. Healy, leading a chasing group, eventually took the lead from Enric Mas with 3.7 kilometers remaining. Paret-Peintre, aided by teammate Ilan Van Wilder, then surged past Healy for the win.
Vingegaard’s efforts to distance Pogačar proved futile, with the Slovenian launching a counter-attack in the final 2 kilometers, further demoralizing his rival.
Pogačar acknowledged the suffering but emphasized the “full gas” effort required for the single climb, anticipating more fatigue in the coming days. Mathieu van der Poel, a contender in the points classification, withdrew before the stage due to pneumonia. / FROM THE WIRES