In the evening, the wine farmers from Bedoin drive up the Mont Ventoux with their tractors to sell their local wine. Five Euro a bottle, red or white. Samples  free and generous.

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A few hours after Mick Bell had passed us on his chopper bike, yet another off bike passed us high up on Mont Ventoux, this time a man on his Penny-farthing high wheeler. In a world filled with hipsters on fixes, this bike is the ultimate fixie.

A few days later we met the rider again just as he finished the climb up Alpe d’Huez. The rider turned out to be czech Josef Zimov?ák  – tenfold world champion in riding high bicycles. He’s also founder of the childrens charity Na kole d?tem – On bike for children that aims to support children with oncological diseases. The ride at Tour de France was made to raise money to the charity. Yet another bicycling hero.

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Hey, did that guy that just passed us ride a…? Noooo. Was he…? Really?!

I grab my camera and run up the road to catch him on photo. When most riders ride on light carbon fibre bikes, he is riding up Mont Ventoux on a chopper bike, complete with the long saddle and the frame mounted gear lever.

A few days later at Alpe d’Huez, we walk by a camper with an orange chopper at the back. Surely there can’t be more than one orange 70’s chopper bike at the Tour de France? And sure enough, the bike had been ridden at Mont Ventoux a few days earlier by the Brittish rider Mick Bell.

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We’re not sure that we heard him right. He’s been cycling up Mont Ventoux, that much we heard. But hang on for a second. Multiple times? On the same day..?

Swedish rider Göran Sjödin tells us he’s just passed the test to be a member of the Bicinglette section of the Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux. In plain English, he’s been accepted as a double member of the Mad Club of Mont Ventoux.

To be a normal member, one needs to climb the three ascends of the mountains withing 24 hours. Göras has just done this twice. Within 24 hours. That sums up to a 272 kilometer ride with 8 886 meters ascended. Now, that’s an achievement!

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With only a few bends left of the 22 kilometer climb up Mont Ventoux, Bert is resting for a few minutes. We ask him about the ride and for how long he’s been cycling up the mountain. Time is irrelevant, he tells us. All that matters is to beat the mountain as he’s recently been battling heart problems.

I like that perspective. Time is irrelevant and all that matters is to beat the mountain.

© Christer Hedberg | christerhedberg.se

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We arrived at Mont Ventoux four days ahead of the race, only to find that basically all spots suitable for camping were taken. When the Tour de France riders arrived on July 14th, between 500.000 and 1.000.000 spectators was estimated.

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Some people bike up Mont Ventoux, others run. Antoine had started in Bédoin, a 21 kilometer constant ascent.

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The Giant of Provence, The Beast of Provence or The Bald Mountain. The many names of Mont Ventoux speaks its own language – the mountain demands its respect.

© Christer Hedberg | christerhedberg.se

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