Cycling on the moon might be easier than tackling the Ventoux

In Provence they call it “The Beast”, though the meaning of Mont Ventoux (“Windy Mountain”) suggests it is not just the 1,910m height that riders in the Tour de France find challenging. When the Mistral blows hard, the road over the mountain has been closed. In 2016, the Tour’s planned summit finish was lowered by 6km of ascent and 480m of altitude because of 100km/h winds at the top. Things always sound much worse in metric.

That year’s stage ended with Chris Froome running up the mountain after his bicycle was damaged when the thronging spectators caused a three-man crash. His team finally got him a replacement bike that was too small but the British rider provisionally lost the yellow jersey to Adam Yates before the jury decided to annul the deficit. Ten days later, Froome rode into Paris as champion for the third time, with Yates fourth.

Froome won a summit finish in yellow there three years earlier but for fans of British cycling, Ventoux is sadly best remembered as the place where Tom Simpson died in the saddle, a kilometre from the top, in 1967. “Heart failure caused by exhaustion” was the official cause, though the brandy and amphetamines can’t have helped.

This year, the Tour visits Ventoux on stage 16 (Tuesday, TNT Sports 1, 11.40am). Although the road from Montpellier is relatively gentle the final ascent is 15.7km at an average gradient of 8.8%. By the end, the bare landscape has been likened to cycling on the moon. They then catch their breath on a flat stage before tackling the even higher Col de la Loze with its gradient of 24% on Thursday.

Tomorrow, the West Indies cricket team face their own challenge: trying to reclaim the heights, or at least the foothills, of national pride after being bowled out for 27 by Australia in Jamaica, last week. That was in a Test, but their innings lasted less than 15 overs. Now they have to see if they can bat for a third longer as the T20 series starts (tomorrow, TNT Sports 1, 1am). Andre Russell, who was in the West Indies sides that won the World Twenty20 in 2012 and 2016, plays for his country for the final time after Wednesday’s second match (of five). He has been the most in-demand T20 franchise player, turning out for 30 teams in 12 competitions, most recently for the Los Angeles Knight Riders, but has played only one Test, in 2010. And that is part of the Windies’ problem.

Some of us like our cricket more slow-paced. There was a hush in the Long Room at Lord’s on Monday as India’s last two partnerships lasted 212 balls, only 36 of which were hit for runs. This join-the-dots exercise was strangely thrilling. Battle resumes in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Wednesday (Sky Sports Cricket, 11am) with England leading 2-1. Inevitably, rain is forecast.