Punishing profile revealed for new Mont Ventoux one-day race

The profile of the new Mont Ventoux one-day race has been revealed.

Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenges classic will be a new UCI 1.1 category addition to the calendar from next year.

Taking place on Sunday, June 17, the race will involve a gruelling 185km with 4,400metres climbing.

Organisers have published the profile of the new race, which features seven climbs before the dreaded and legendary Mont Ventoux.

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The race will kick off with a 5km, easy 3.7% climb, followed by Col des Aires at 3km and 5.4%.

After that comes the first real test for the peloton, the 11.6km Col de l’Homme Mort with an average of 4.9%.

Over the next 80km there are a few smaller tests, before cycling’s most iconic test appears.

Mont Ventoux, which has featured in the Tour de France 16 times, is steeped in cycling history, both glorious and tragic.

In 1967, Brit Tom Simpson died on the slopes of the 21km climb.

The climb first featured in the Tour in 1951, but not as a summit finish.

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A Ventoux finish line first appeared in 1958, with an individual time trial from Bédoin to the top won by Charly Gaul.

There have been 10 summit finishes atop Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France’s history.

At 8.7%, it is a brutal finale to the new one-day race.

The race will take the classic ascent up Ventoux from Bédoin, with a total elevation of 1612m.

Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenges one-day race will take place at the end of the Mont Ventoux Cycling Festival, and will follow the Santini GF Mont Ventox sportive.