La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal, stage 2: Domfront → Château-Gontier
On stage 2 (Domfront → Château-Gontier, 112 km) the best month is September: 80% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (0.1 km/h on average; ERA5 2006–2025, 9:00–18:00).
← La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal (Whole route)
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16% | 25% | 77 | 8 °C | 0% | 71% | 8.8 † |
| February | 31% | 24% | 61 | 9 °C | 0% | 56% | 10.1 † |
| March | 52% | 29% | 63 | 12 °C | 0% | 31% | 11.8 |
| April | 72% | 25% | 52 | 15 °C | 0% | 5% | 13.6 |
| May | 71% | 29% | 69 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.2 |
| June | 72% | 24% | 62 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 16.1 |
| July | 72% | 22% | 52 | 24 °C | 7% | 0% | 15.7 |
| August | 75% | 19% | 49 | 23 °C | 6% | 0% | 14.3 |
| September | 80% | 19% | 50 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 75% | 24% | 78 | 16 °C | 0% | 2% | 10.7 † |
| November | 52% | 25% | 75 | 11 °C | 0% | 29% | 9.2 † |
| December | 22% | 25% | 80 | 8 °C | 0% | 62% | 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 Domfront → Château-Gontier, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Domfront → Château-Gontier | Headwind > 15 km/h, Château-Gontier → Domfront | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.8 | 14% | 3% | Château-Gontier → Domfront |
| February | −2.0 | 14% | 7% | either |
| March | −0.6 | 12% | 7% | either |
| April | +0.4 | 7% | 5% | either |
| May | +0.7 | 7% | 6% | either |
| June | +0.2 | 5% | 3% | either |
| July | −0.8 | 7% | 2% | either |
| August | −0.6 | 6% | 3% | either |
| September | −0.1 | 6% | 4% | either |
| October | −3.0 | 12% | 3% | Château-Gontier → Domfront |
| November | −3.2 | 14% | 5% | Château-Gontier → Domfront |
| December | −3.9 | 15% | 4% | Château-Gontier → Domfront |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 122–147 | S | +0.1 |
| 147–172 | S | −0.7 |
| 172–198 | S | −0.9 |
| 198–223 | S | +0.6 |
| 223–234 | S | +0.6 |
Other stages
- Ouistreham → Domfront 122 km
- Domfront → Château-Gontier 112 km
- Château-Gontier → Saumur 122 km
- Saumur → Parthenay 118 km
- Parthenay → La Rochelle 140 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.