Documentary: KOM Hunters – Ventoux

Of all the climbs in France, Mont Ventoux might have the most mystique around it. With its strange 'moonscape' terrain at the top, this mountain has witnessed moments like the dramatic first mountain battle between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar during the 2021 Tour de France, as well as the tragic and untimely death of British pro rider Tom Simpson during the 1967 Tour de France. It is unquestionably iconic. It is also bloody hard, with stats that rival any climb in the world.

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The summit of Ventoux in all its glory

It provides the type of challenge that we love to see on GCN+. Having previously attempted the KOM on the famous Alpe d’Huez it was time to gather together a band of extremely talented amateur hill climbers this time to tackle a segment that is 21.3km at over 7% for the KOM at the Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux.

To capture the crown, EF Education-EasyPost sports director Tom Southam hand-picked a crack team of dynamic riders who would have to work together in order to deliver one rider to eternal Strava glory. Or at least until the Tour de France next returns to Ventoux.

The anchor of the team would again be GCN regular and hill climbing extraordinaire Andrew Feather. The three-time British Hill Climb champion would be flanked by Max Stedman, an aspiring professional and elite climber, Joe Laverick, a powerhouse and team player, Dan Evans, two-time British Hill Climb champ, and Richard Bussell, who was both a British Time Trial champion and Hill Climb champ in the same year.

With this new group of riders, and the different nature of the challenge, the film tracks how well they work together, how they can use their collective strengths and ultimately how well Tom manages the egos of five highly trained, ambitious riders. In the end, according to team manager Tom, the way the group can succeed is fairly simple:

“I have got a pretty clear idea of what I am going to do,” he said of his approach. “Someone is going to get an unglamorous job, someone is going to get a more glamorous job and someone is hopefully going to get a KOM on their Strava.”

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The KOM hunters at the end of the attempt

The only question is can the group rally around Tom’s world-class guidance and execute the plan to take the KOM?

KOM Hunters: Ventoux is out now on GCN+. Watch on-demand and explore our extensive collection of exclusive and original cycling films.

Canyon

Canyon Bicycles GmbH is a German manufacturer of road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, triathlon bikes and e-bikes based in Koblenz, Germany.