La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal, stage 3: Château-Gontier → Saumur
On stage 3 (Château-Gontier → Saumur, 122 km) the best month is September: 79% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (1.5 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 | 26% | 21% | 63 | 8 °C | 0% | 61% | 8.8 † |
| February | 43% | 21% | 52 | 10 °C | 0% | 43% | 10.2 † |
| March | 59% | 27% | 57 | 13 °C | 0% | 21% | 11.8 |
| April | 76% | 22% | 48 | 16 °C | 0% | 3% | 13.6 |
| May | 73% | 26% | 63 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.1 |
| June | 72% | 21% | 56 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 15.9 |
| July | 72% | 16% | 40 | 25 °C | 13% | 0% | 15.6 |
| August | 72% | 15% | 40 | 25 °C | 14% | 0% | 14.2 |
| September | 79% | 17% | 47 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 77% | 21% | 74 | 18 °C | 0% | 1% | 10.8 † |
| November | 60% | 23% | 65 | 12 °C | 0% | 22% | 9.2 † |
| December | 32% | 21% | 68 | 9 °C | 0% | 52% | 8.5 † |
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 Château-Gontier → Saumur, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Château-Gontier → Saumur | Headwind > 15 km/h, Saumur → Château-Gontier | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.0 | 7% | 7% | either |
| February | +0.6 | 7% | 9% | either |
| March | +0.9 | 7% | 9% | either |
| April | +0.8 | 4% | 5% | either |
| May | +2.1 | 3% | 8% | Château-Gontier → Saumur |
| June | +1.8 | 2% | 4% | either |
| July | +2.8 | 2% | 6% | Château-Gontier → Saumur |
| August | +2.8 | 2% | 6% | Château-Gontier → Saumur |
| September | +1.5 | 3% | 5% | either |
| October | −1.0 | 7% | 4% | either |
| November | −0.4 | 7% | 7% | either |
| December | −0.7 | 7% | 7% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 234–259 | S | +0.2 |
| 259–284 | SE | +1.9 |
| 284–309 | S | +1.2 |
| 309–335 | E | +2.2 |
| 335–356 | SE | +2.0 |
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.