MONT VENTOUX, France (AP) — Thomas De Gendt hates riding in the wind. With gusts reaching 130 kph at the Mont Ventoux on Thursday, the Belgian rider was worried he might not even reach the finish inside the time limit.
He ended up claiming the biggest win of his career.
De Gendt won the wind-shortened and chaotic 12th stage of the Tour de France on the "Giant of Provence" on Thursday after getting into an early breakaway and easily sprinting past fellow Belgian Serge Pauwels on the steep slopes.
"Usually these stages are the stages I'm the most afraid of because of the time limit," De Gendt said.