Third and final week begins with stage 16 - stage guide
171.5km mountain stage, Montpellier to summit finish at Mont Ventoux
Valentin Paret-Peintre claims first stage win in thrilling fashion
Ireland's Ben Healy denied second stage win of Tour
Jonas Vingegaard attacks but Tadej Pogacar increases overall lead by two seconds
Julian Alaphilippe thought he had won stage 15, only to discover that two riders had already crossed ahead of him.
After that disappointment, the French rider is sure to be eager to end his Tour stage drought and he then attacked, followed by a group of 40 riders looking to open a gap.
171.5km mountain stage, Montpellier to Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux has featured in the Tour de France on 19 occasions, although not all of them have been summit finishes.
Wout van Aert was the winner of the last stage that featured Mont Ventoux in 2021, and Jonas Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate attacked right from the off today.
Points leader Jonathan Milan and Movistar's Tour debutant Ivan Romeo also looked to make the break.
Never mind Tadej Pogacar, could there be the first French winner on this year's Tour today?
Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, who races for French team Groupama-FDJ, said: "It's not just Tadej who wants victory today, there are a number of riders who want it."
Image source, EPAThis is the 11th time a Mont Ventoux finish has featured on the Tour and the first since 2016.
This is therefore Tadej Pogacar's first chance to emulate Chris Froome, who was the last rider to win on Mont Ventoux in yellow, although the Slovenian star says that still holding the race lead after stage 20 is the priority for him and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
Pogacar said: "Everybody wants to win a stage on the Tour and today's the Mont Ventoux. It's a legendary climb and if you can win it in the yellow jersey it's something that's really iconic. But we know why we are here, to bring the yellow jersey to Paris."
Now to this year's race, and here's how the general classification standings look before stage 16.
Three-time winner and reigning champion Tadej Pogacar has a comfortable advantage of four minutes 13 seconds over two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard.
That was in stark contrast to the previous occasion there was a finish on Mont Ventoux in 2013, with Chris Froome claiming one of his three stage wins that year en route to his maiden Tour title.
Image source, Getty ImagesWho could forget about Chris Froome on that 2016 stage, running up the mountain until his new bike arrived... unbelievable scenes!!
The British rider, Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema crashed with a motorbike just over one kilometre from the finish.
The defending champion was overtaken by rivals Adam Yates and Nairo Quintana in the melee, with Thomas de Gendt winning the stage, but race organisers ruled Froome should retain the overall lead.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images171.5km mountain stage, Montpellier to Mont Ventoux
Image source, ASONow then, to today's stage... Stage 16 is a flat route until one of the most legendary mountains in Tour history comes into view at the end.
With no categorised climbs all day before Mont Ventoux, and the intermediate sprint featuring 112km into the stage, it would be no surprise if the peloton remains largely intact until then.
In 2016, strong winds meant the finish was moved to Chalet Reynard halfway up the climb as Thomas de Gendt won from the breakaway and drama unfolded on the slopes behind with the yellow jersey, Chris Froome, initially running up the mountain after a crash.
Mathieu van der Poel's withdrawal means that 19 riders have now abandoned this year's Tour de France, with 165 lining up in Montpellier for the start to week three.
That's a huge blow for Mathieu van der Poel, Alpecin-Deceuninck and the Tour itself.
Van der Poel one of the most popular riders in the peloton and Alpecin has already lost its other star rider Jasper Philipsen, following a crash early in the race.
The Belgian team has also released a special jersey today in honour of seven-time Tour stage winner Raymond Poulidor, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Frenchman's historic victory on top of Mont Ventoux in 1965.
Image source, EPAA statement from Mathieu van der Poel's team Alpecin-Deceuninck said: "Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly.
"The team doctor monitored him closely throughout the day. By the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was taken to the Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne for further examinations.
"Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race.
"His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential. Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week. After this period, he will undergo further medical examinations to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation."
Image source, EPABut before we get into today's stage, we've got some sad news to bring you on Mathieu van der Poel.
The Dutch star has animated much of this year's race, claiming his second stage win on day two, and spending four days in the yellow jersey.
But the 30-year-old hasn't lined up in Montpellier having become the latest rider to withdraw from this year's race.
Image source, EPAAfter yesterday's rest day, we're about to kick off the third week of the Tour de France, with the riders set to head into the Alps.
The final week of this year's race will begin in a sunny Montpellier, with a summit finish on one of the Tour's most iconic climbs.
Some say this year's race is already over... I bet most of the riders wish it was, because there's a whopping 18,000m of elevation gain to come over the next week, beginning with the epic ascent of Mont Ventoux later on.