French rider Valentin Paret-Peintre claimed Stage 16 of the Tour de France, sprinting clear on the upper slopes of Mont Ventoux to deliver the host nation’s first victory of the 2025 edition and end a run of 23 straight stages without a French winner. The 24-year-old Soudal Quick-Step climber bridged to Ben Healy inside the final four kilometres and then distanced the Irishman near the summit, crossing the line alone. Enric Mas, who had launched a solo move with 14 kilometres remaining, faded to finish 54 seconds adrift. Further down the road, overall leader Tadej Pogacar successfully answered repeated accelerations from two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard and retained the yellow jersey as the race heads toward the Alpine block later this week.