© Holly Millar
Ventouman - superhero of Provence
The man who's cycled Mont Ventoux over 360 times
Affectionately known as 'Ventouman', cyclist Lionel Tartelin has climbed Mont Ventoux, dubbed the 'Giant of Provence', an amazing 379 times.
62 of those ascents have been in 2016 and the cyclist hailing from Cavaillon, near Avignon, was hoping to reach the 400 mark before the year's end. Known to most as the Giant of Provence, the impressive Mont Ventoux stands out on the Provence skyline and is seen as a bucket list achievement for many cyclists across the globe. Featuring in the Tour de France every few years the mountain will now be remembered for the historic moment when Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, ran up for several hundred metres after a bike crash.
Lionel Tartelin was hoping for a beautiful Indian summer here in Provence so that he could achieve his dream. However, recent snow and weather forecasts make that look unlikely. Ventouman may have to wait until 2017 to tackle the mighty Ventoux for the 400th time.
