What a feeling at the top of Mont Ventoux! Indeed, French Valentin Paretrere (Sudal Quick-Step) won the 14th stage of the Tour de France 2025 To everyone's surprise, the first stage victory of a Frenchman on this 112nd edition. If Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) also figured well and finished in the top 10 (8th) of this first step in the Alps, Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B & B Hotels) was more in difficulty. The Frenchman, still in the race for a top 5 in the general classification, suffered on the terrible slopes of Mont Ventoux and wasted time on its main rivals Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) ou encore Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). The latter also exceeds it to general and pushes French in 6th place, now more than 4 minutes from the podium.
“I really tried to limit the breakage”
After arrival, Kévin Vauquelin returned to this difficult ascent, a first for him: “As usual, I had a killing at some point. When they started to attack, I think it was Jonas (Vingegaard) who launches, I was trying to find my rhythm but I had a blow to the mind, it was very hard. Ewen (costiou) spread out and joined me, he helped me, but I had trouble getting started. Leknesndund and Johannesen, I think we were about the same level “.
He continues: “Ewen did a great job, then Raul took the lead and we went up to end up to finish it. The two were extraordinary, but also Arnaud (Demore) and Amaury (Capiot) before the climb, to place myself on the foot. I really tried to limit the breakage, I never made a climb so long, I had never done the Ventoux … in the head it was horrible. Raul and Ewen with me, otherwise it would have been a bigger correction.he concludes.
