Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard obliterated the longstanding Mont Ventoux ascent record during stage 16 of the Tour de France.
The iconic climb, known as the “Giant of Provence,” saw the duo rewrite history with times of 54:31 and 54:33, respectively, surpassing Iban Mayo’s 2004 record of 55:51 by over a minute, despite facing a headwind.
Vingegaard launched four aggressive attacks to challenge the yellow jersey holder, Pogacar, who however responded with composure, countering each move and ultimately sprinting to a two-second lead over Vingegaard at the summit, securing fifth place.
The stage victory went to Valentin Paret-Peintre, marking France’s first win in this Tour.
Pogacar’s time also eclipsed Marco Pantani’s 1994 Tour record of 57:34 by nearly three minutes. The performance, described by analysts as one of the greatest long climbs in cycling history, sparked awe and debate, with estimated power outputs of 6.44 W/kg for Pogacar and 6.52 W/kg for Vingegaard.
Despite the record-breaking feat, Pogacar remained humble, stating, “I enjoyed this climb. Jonas and his team set a strong pace, but I could follow.”
Vingegaard, though disappointed by a post-finish crash with a photographer, called the day a “huge boost of motivation.”
