Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde flank Chris Froome on the final Tour de France podium.
It wouldn't be the Tour de France without sunflowers.
Andy Schleck powers ahead of Alberto Contador atop the Mont Ventoux in the 2009 Tour de France(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Full Froome rising. Chris Froome approaches the Mont Ventoux finish line in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Froome on his way to victory on Mont Ventoux in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome (Sky) joined Eddy Merckx as the only riders to win a Tour stage on Mont Ventoux while wearing the yellow jersey(Image credit: Pete Goding.)
Marco Pantani beats Lance Armstrong to the 2000 Tour de France Mount Ventoux stage win
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Will rumours turn out to be true that the 2016 Tour de France will return to Mont Ventoux next year? Cycling followers will find out on Tuesday when the ASO reveals the 2016 route in Paris. Cyclingnews will live stream the event, starting at 10:30 a.m. (GMT).
The rumoured Mont Ventoux stage will apparently start, as it did when it finished on the Ventoux in 1965, in the city of Montpellier. First tackled in a stage that crossed the Ventoux in 1951, the most recent ascent of the Ventoux was in 2013, when Chris Froome (Team Sky) beat Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) by 29 seconds and effectively sealed his overall victory in that year's race.
It's believed that the Tour will tackle the Ventoux on the most frequently used approach through the town of Bedoin at the foot of what is a 21.8km ascent.
The only official word on the 2016 Tour route so far is that it will begin in Mont-Saint-Michel on July 2, with two complete stages in Normandy, the first from Mont-Saint-Michel to Utah Beach and the second from Cherbourg to Octeville.
Click here for full coverage of the 2016 Tour de France.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
