Франциядағы Мон-Ванту тауы

Mountain in France

Mont Ventoux (mɔ̃ vɑ̃tu; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Beast of Provence", the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald Mountain". The Italian poet Petrarch wrote a possibly fictional account of an ascent accompanied by his brother on 26 April 1336, in his Ascent of Mont Ventoux. In the 15th century, a chapel was constructed on the top and dedicated to the Holy Cross. In 1882, a meteorological station was constructed on the summit, but it is no longer in use. This observatory had been planned in 1879, along with a carriage road for access. In the 1960s, a telecommunications mast was built. From 1902 to 1976, the Mont Ventoux Hill Climb for car and motorcycle took place on the roads of the Mont.

Originally forested, Mont Ventoux was systematically stripped of trees from the 12th century onwards to serve the demands of the shipbuilders of the naval port of Toulon. Some areas have been reforested since 1860 with a variety of hardwood trees (such as holm oaks and beeches) as well as coniferous species, such as Atlas cedars and larches. A little higher, junipers are common. The mountain comprises the species boundary or ecotone between the flora and fauna of northern and southern France. Some species, including various types of spiders and butterflies, are unique to Mont Ventoux. It is a good place to spot the short toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus). Its biological distinctiveness was recognised by UNESCO in 1990 when the Réserve de Biosphère du Mont Ventoux was created, protecting an area of 810 square kilometres (200,150 acres) on and around the mountain.

In road bicycle racing, the mountain can be climbed by three routes. South from Bédoin: over This is regarded as the most difficult ascent, and is ranked by PJAMM Cycling as the 3rd most difficult bike climb in France. The road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.43%. Until Saint Estève, the climb is 3.9% over , but the remaining has an average gradient of 8.9%. To serve as a comparison the climb of Alpe d'Huez is about at an average gradient of 7.9%. The last kilometres may have strong, violent winds. The ride takes 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours for trained amateur riders. Professional riders take 60 to 75 minutes. The fastest time so far recorded has been that of Iban Mayo in the individual climbing time trial of the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré: 55 min 51 s. The time was measured from Bédoin for the first time in the 1958 Tour de France, in which Charly Gaul was the fastest at 62 min 9 s.
Northwest from Malaucène: over About equal in difficulty as the Bédoin ascent, but better sheltered against the wind. East from Sault: over The easiest route. After Chalet Reynard (where the "lunar landscape" of the summit starts), the climb is the same as the Bédoin ascent. Average gradient of 4.4%. Every year there are amateur races to climb the mountain as quickly and often as possible in 24 hours, the Ventoux Masterseries and "Les Cinglés du Mont Ventoux". On 16 May 2006, Jean Pascal Roux from Bédoin broke the record of climbs in 24 hours, with eleven climbs, all of them from Bédoin.

Mont Ventoux was used as the first checkpoint in the 2015 Transcontinental Race, which is a non stop, unsupported bicycle race across Europe.

There are two small ski stations on the mountain: "Mont Serein" on the north side, and "Chalet Reynard" on the south. High winds and the modest elevation tend to limit the ski season. Weather conditions are such that the northern slope is often icy, leading to a saying among people of the surrounding region regarding the challenges of skiing the mountain: Qui skie au Ventoux, skie partout (If you can ski Ventoux, you can ski anywhere).