La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal: which way and when to ride
The best month for La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal is September: 79% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.0 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 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 | 23% | 23% | 71 | 8 °C | 0% | 64% | 8.8 † |
| February | 39% | 23% | 59 | 10 °C | 0% | 48% | 10.2 † |
| March | 57% | 27% | 62 | 13 °C | 0% | 25% | 11.8 |
| April | 74% | 23% | 52 | 16 °C | 0% | 4% | 13.6 |
| May | 72% | 28% | 67 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.1 |
| June | 71% | 23% | 61 | 23 °C | 6% | 0% | 15.9 |
| July | 73% | 17% | 44 | 25 °C | 11% | 0% | 15.6 |
| August | 73% | 16% | 44 | 24 °C | 11% | 0% | 14.2 |
| September | 79% | 18% | 48 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 76% | 23% | 75 | 17 °C | 0% | 2% | 10.8 † |
| November | 56% | 25% | 74 | 12 °C | 0% | 24% | 9.2 † |
| December | 29% | 24% | 75 | 9 °C | 0% | 55% | 8.4 † |
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 Ouistreham → La Rochelle, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Ouistreham → La Rochelle | Headwind > 15 km/h, La Rochelle → Ouistreham | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.7 | 16% | 6% | La Rochelle → Ouistreham |
| February | −2.0 | 16% | 8% | La Rochelle → Ouistreham |
| March | −0.8 | 14% | 9% | either |
| April | +0.5 | 9% | 8% | either |
| May | +0.3 | 9% | 8% | either |
| June | −0.1 | 7% | 5% | either |
| July | −1.0 | 10% | 4% | either |
| August | −0.9 | 8% | 4% | either |
| September | 0.0 | 8% | 6% | either |
| October | −2.3 | 13% | 5% | La Rochelle → Ouistreham |
| November | −3.0 | 16% | 6% | La Rochelle → Ouistreham |
| December | −3.5 | 17% | 6% | La Rochelle → Ouistreham |
Stages
The route is split into 5 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Ouistreham → La Rochelle in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ouistreham → Domfront | 122 | September | −1.1 |
| 2. Domfront → Château-Gontier | 112 | September | −0.1 |
| 3. Château-Gontier → Saumur | 122 | September | +1.5 |
| 4. Saumur → Parthenay | 118 | September | +0.6 |
| 5. Parthenay → La Rochelle | 140 | September | −0.8 |
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.