La Vagabonde, stage 3: Saint-Hippolyte → Rocamadour
On stage 3 (Saint-Hippolyte → Rocamadour, 128 km) the best month is October: 74% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (1.8 km/h on average; ERA5 2006–2025, 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19% | 29% | 108 | 8 °C | 0% | 72% | 9.1 † |
| February | 39% | 28% | 84 | 10 °C | 0% | 50% | 10.3 † |
| March | 54% | 32% | 104 | 13 °C | 0% | 27% | 11.8 |
| April | 67% | 31% | 97 | 17 °C | 0% | 7% | 13.4 |
| May | 64% | 35% | 111 | 19 °C | 1% | 1% | 14.8 |
| June | 59% | 30% | 102 | 24 °C | 11% | 0% | 15.6 |
| July | 62% | 19% | 65 | 26 °C | 21% | 0% | 15.3 |
| August | 62% | 16% | 72 | 26 °C | 22% | 0% | 14.1 |
| September | 71% | 23% | 83 | 22 °C | 6% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 74% | 24% | 104 | 18 °C | 0% | 4% | 10.9 † |
| November | 47% | 32% | 117 | 12 °C | 0% | 33% | 9.5 † |
| December | 27% | 28% | 111 | 9 °C | 0% | 61% | 8.8 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Saint-Hippolyte → Rocamadour, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Saint-Hippolyte → Rocamadour | Headwind > 15 km/h, Rocamadour → Saint-Hippolyte | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1.3 | 6% | 3% | either |
| February | −1.4 | 7% | 4% | either |
| March | −1.3 | 8% | 6% | either |
| April | −0.7 | 5% | 5% | either |
| May | −0.2 | 3% | 5% | either |
| June | −0.2 | 2% | 2% | either |
| July | 0.0 | 1% | 1% | either |
| August | −0.4 | 2% | 1% | either |
| September | −0.5 | 2% | 2% | either |
| October | −1.8 | 7% | 2% | either |
| November | −2.0 | 6% | 3% | either |
| December | −1.7 | 6% | 2% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 238–263 | S | −2.7 |
| 263–288 | S | −2.7 |
| 288–314 | SW | −1.6 |
| 314–339 | W | −0.3 |
| 339–366 | S | −1.6 |
Other stages
- Montluçon → Felletin 110 km
- Felletin → Saint-Hippolyte 128 km
- Saint-Hippolyte → Rocamadour 128 km
- Rocamadour → Montech 145 km
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.