The myth of the bicycle
"Mont Ventoux - that's means cycling". Valerie Buscaino knows it best. She works in the tourism office of Bédoin, starting point of the Tour de France's most famous stage. "You can walk up the mount, drive there with you car, but the most authentical way is the bicycle. It is legendary - every real cyclist has to do it one in a lifetime."
During the high season, up to 500 cyclists can be found on the 22km ascent from Bedoin at the same time. "Sometimes it's really terrible, infernal", says Ken Reyna. Cyclists often overestimate their capabilities. Tom Simpson, English champion of the Tour de France, died on the summit in the late 60's. "He was doped, like all of them, and it was summer, scorching heat. Close to the summit, he had a heart attack and passed away immediately". Sadly, he had many followers. Every year, about three cyclists die on the summit, either of heart attack or traffic accidents.
And it's not only cyclists that climb the mountain. Tourists drive up with their cars to marvel at the view, sometimes 2300 a day. The narrow and winding road becomes too small for cycling and driving tourists. Accidents are frequent.
Even the automobile industry has discovered the beautiful road for their own purposes. "Mercedes, BMW and others come here with their prototypes - fully camouflaged - and to test them: Motor, brakes, towing", tells Ken. As we ascend, only one car that blocks the road: A German team turns an advertising film for the Mazda 5, tells us the policeman.
Despite crowding the road, cyclists and cars don't have strong detrimental effects to the mountain's ecosystem - if they stay on the road. Unfortunately, downhill cycling becomes a new trend: Small groups of people that drive directly through the reserve's most sensible areas, difficult to catch. "The summit is declared a protected area, but we cannot really enforce it. We don't have enough resources."
25.09.2005 11:40h
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