A transitional stage between the Pyrenees and the Alps. After a day of rest, the peloton will start the 16th stage, Tuesday July 22, from Montpellier (Hérault) and travel 171.5 km to arrive at the top of Mont Ventoux (Vaucluse). Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG), a yellow jersey more than four minutes ahead of his rival Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), will still be one of the favorites for victory. A third week's start that will be without Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who abandoned for pneumonia Tuesday morning.
Mont Ventoux, the only difficulty. After 133.7 km of a relatively flat course, the still committed runners will have to climb a myth of the Tour de France, Mont Ventoux (15.7 km at 8.8%). This ascent is back this year, after being absent from the Grande Boucle program since 2021 and the victory of Wout Van Aert alone.
Revenge between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard? After having disinterested in the 14th stage, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) will present itself as the main favorite during the final ascent, and will be looking for a fifth stage victory on this edition. But he will have to be wary of his direct competitor Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), who will try to reduce his gap on the yellow jersey to the general (4'13 ''), on a land where the Danish had distant the Slovenian during the 2021 edition.
Lenny Martinez for dots points. The French of the Bahrain-Victorious training could have a card to play in the final ascent. In this final with lunar aspects, Lenny Martinez aims to win a few points in order to keep his jersey for the best climber of the publishing, which he holds eight points ahead of Pogacar.
