Valentin Paret-Peintre's victory, relief for all French runners on the Tour de France

She was long overdue but she is splendid. Valentin Paret-Peintre won, Tuesday July 22, the first French victory of the Tour de France by winning the 16th stage at the top of the legendary Mont Ventoux, the place where any cycling dreams of winning. It is, by far, the most beautiful victory of the 24-year-old Haut-Savoyard career. We had to wait until the third week with the fear of a tour without a tricolor victory, a rare fact.

And if they are not from the same team and yet they experienced the ceremony in honor of the winner of the day as a liberation. The weight on the shoulders of the French of the peloton suddenly lightened at 1910 m above sea level, assured Clément Berthet of this unexpected victory in front of the Ogre of the Tour de France. “He can supervise the ranking. He wins in front of Pogacar, it's not bad. It put a big smile. It's really great for him.”says the French cyclist.

A victory for tricolor cycling which will not finish empty -handed for the first time in 26 years recognizes the boss of the Tour Christian Prudhomme. “We are not going to finish hood, we, French. And it's a step that counts, we will say it anyway, more than another”he is satisfied.

Valentin Paret-Peintre is already in legend because he enters a very closed circle, that of the five French victors on the Tour at the top of the Ventoux alongside Raymond Poulidor, Bernard Thévenet, Richard Virenque and the Cyclisme de Franceinfo consultant: “What he doesn't know yet is that it will stick to his skin all his life to have earned in the Ventouxexplains Jean-François Bernard. I know that, when he takes the road and will go down in the south, he will see the Ventoux and will say to himself: 'Ah yes, in fact it is true, I am told about it all the time', and we will talk to him all the time. “ And no one will be able to talk about the Tour de France 2025 as that of the failure of the French runners.