Two races in one:
The dash to the intermediate sprint, and then the GC battle up the mountain.
Not discounting the loony escape artists who will try to disappear up the road in a breakaway, and if they do and swag those sprint points, Milan and van der Poel may call it quits and take the day easy on the flat… however there are 30 Sprint points at the top of Mont Ventoux just waiting for the stage winner (such as Pogačar) so there is an incentive for teams Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek to control the peloton for 112.4km to a sprint showdown at Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The race up Mont Ventoux will be fierce but the distance and the gradient will decide the winner. Expect a determined effort from Lenny Martinez.
We regret to announce that Mathieu van der Poel is forced to abandon Le Tour
prematurely. Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly. The team doctor monitored him closely throughout the day. By the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was taken to the ‘Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne’ for further examinations. Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential. Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week. After this period, he will undergo further medical examinations to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation.
Goodness only knows how they do it. Some race up Ventoux. Fair play to Healey & Vingegaard for lighting up the climb. Absolute respect. Pogačar is something else.
Tadej Pogačar 
UAE Team Emirates
Jonathan Milan 
Lidl-Trek
Lenny Martinez 
Bahrain Victorious
Florian Lipowitz 
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Alpecin - Deceuninck (cold symptoms / pneumonia)
TEAMS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 16
