“Sprint on the Summit: Paret-Peintre Denies Healy in Thrilling Finish”
Valentin Paret-Peintre secured a dramatic first Tour de France stage win with a perfectly timed late sprint on the iconic slopes of Mont Ventoux, narrowly beating Ben Healy in the final meters of stage 16. The 24-year-old became the first Frenchman to win a stage in this year’s Tour, sparking celebrations for the home crowd and marking a milestone for Soudal Quick-Step with their third stage win.
Healy, who appeared destined for victory after leading into the final bend, was overtaken just before the line. While the Irishman missed out on his second stage win, his performance propelled him into ninth place overall in the general classification.
The stage offered high drama in the GC battle as well, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard launching multiple attacks on yellow jersey rival Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian responded to every move and gained two bonus seconds at the finish, slightly increasing his lead to over four minutes.
The final climb saw a tactical battle among the breakaway group. After catching Enric Mas, Paret-Peintre and Healy were joined by Santiago Buitrago and Ilan van Wilder in the closing kilometers. Van Wilder provided a vital lead-out, allowing Paret-Peintre to unleash a decisive sprint.
Elsewhere, British rider Oscar Onley lost contact with the GC contenders and dropped to fifth overall, now flanked by Florian Lipowitz and Primoz Roglic in the standings. The day also saw the withdrawal of Mathieu van der Poel, a former yellow jersey wearer, due to pneumonia.
The Tour resumes Wednesday with a 160.4km flat stage from Bollène to Valence, likely favoring the sprinters once again.