Mont Ventoux 3 Ways in a Day
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Time to read 3 min
A Ride That Defines Us
138km, 4,440m. Three ascents of Mont Ventoux. One day.
Some rides test your legs. Others test your resolve. And then there are rides that define something much bigger. This was one of those rides.
We didn’t go to Mont Ventoux to break records. We went to remind ourselves what it feels like to take on something big, together.
This wasn’t just a test of legs. It was a reminder of why we ride—and why we started Raptor in the first place. Three ascents. One day. A bunch of riders on bikes we built. That’s what this was about we took on all three routes to the summit in one day—Bédoin, Malaucène and Sault.
Not to prove a point. But to remind ourselves why we started building bikes in the first place.
Raptor x Café du Cycliste
This wasn’t just a big day out—it was also the first ride on our Café du Cycliste x Raptor custom fleet. Built on our SL1 and finished in a unique Café du Cycliste colourway, these bikes are now available to hire from CDC’s Mont Ventoux store.
This partnership is simple: two brands focused on performance, craft, and giving riders more than just another product. Whether you're climbing Ventoux for the first time or returning to settle a score, these bikes are built for the challenge.
Bédoin
We rolled out early from the Café du Cycliste store in Bédoin. It was quiet. Cool. A few nervous laughs, a few final adjustments, and then we were off—climbing before the cafés opened their shutters. There’s something about riding out with friends on a challenge like this. There’s a mix of purpose and perspective. You’re there to suffer, but you don’t do it alone.
Bédoin – The Benchmark
The Bédoin ascent is the classic route. 21.5km. 1,600m of gain with an average gradient of 7.5%. What starts as a gentle drag through vineyards quickly becomes something else altogether.
The forest doesn’t forgive. It’s shaded, steep, endless. Steady to start, then unrelenting. The forest gives you little to look at, and even less to ease the gradient. But the legs were good, and the mood was calm. There was still plenty of chat.
The last few kilometres, out of the trees and into the exposed stone, gave us our first proper view of the summit. Up there, that red and white tower starts to mean something. So we got there, regrouped, and cracked on.
Malaucène – The Silent Fight
After a fast descent we turned onto the climb from Malaucène. It's a 21 km climb, with 1,570m of ascent and an average gradient of 7.5%. The Malaucène doesn’t have the same reputation as Bédoin, it's the quietest route up, and arguably the most brutal. It’s less consistent, with some properly steep ramps. Everyone found their own pace here. Not much chat. Just heads down and keep pedalling.
At the top, it was windier than before. Time for a snack, a photo, and straight onto the next.
Sault – The Final Push
At 26km, 1,220m of ascent at an average of 4.5%, Sault is the longest route up Ventoux, and definitely the most forgiving—at least on paper. But after two big climbs, the legs don’t really care that the gradient is easier.
That said, this was the most social of the three. We chatted more, rode in pairs, took it in properly. It felt like we were finishing something together—not just ticking a box. Riding past Chalet Reynard for the third time, there was a sense of shared momentum. One last dig. One more push to the top.
At the top
Three ascents. One summit. A few grins. A lot of tired legs. There was no finish line. No crowd. Just a few photos, some high-fives, and that shared feeling of “we did it.”
We started Raptor to build bikes for rides like this—when it’s just you, the road, and the people you trust to show up.
This wasn’t about ticking off a challenge. It was about doing something tough, together. On bikes we believe in. With people who back the same values.
Real riders. Real roads. And the kind of day you don’t forget for a while.