Tour de France 2025 through the lens of James Startt - Stage 16
On each stage at the Tour de France, James Startt selects his image of the day, offering a unique perspective on the rolling citadel and the characters who inhabit it.
Mont Ventoux always provides drama on the Tour de France, and stage 16 was no different. Valentin Paret-Peintre scored stage victory after a spirited tussle among the escapees, while Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard traded blows in the fight for the yellow jersey.
Pogačar, as he has done throughout this Tour, was immovable, even when faced with the best Vingegaard of this race to date. But after a Tour that had threatened to become a procession, this contest was a reminder that there is still life in their duel.
4:15 now separates the pair in the overall standings, but there was precious little between them on the slopes of the mighty Ventoux. The two outstanding riders of the Tour of the 2020s were united in their suffering as they battled their way up the Giant of Provence.
In this shot, Pogačar is just beginning to wind up the final effort that will see him gain two seconds on Vingegaard, but there are still chapters to be added to the narrative before Paris.
James Startt is covering his 36th Tour de France. He is a two-time winner of the World Sports Photography awards and he currently serves as the creative director to inGamba luxury cycling tours.
