La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal, stage 4: Saumur → Parthenay
On stage 4 (Saumur → Parthenay, 118 km) the best month is September: 79% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (0.6 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% | 20% | 62 | 8 °C | 0% | 62% | 8.9 † |
| February | 41% | 22% | 54 | 10 °C | 0% | 45% | 10.2 † |
| March | 59% | 26% | 59 | 13 °C | 0% | 22% | 11.8 |
| April | 74% | 24% | 51 | 16 °C | 0% | 3% | 13.5 |
| May | 72% | 28% | 68 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.0 |
| June | 69% | 23% | 61 | 24 °C | 8% | 0% | 15.9 |
| July | 72% | 14% | 37 | 26 °C | 15% | 0% | 15.5 |
| August | 71% | 13% | 38 | 25 °C | 16% | 0% | 14.2 |
| September | 79% | 16% | 44 | 23 °C | 6% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 79% | 20% | 71 | 18 °C | 0% | 1% | 10.8 † |
| November | 57% | 24% | 68 | 12 °C | 0% | 23% | 9.3 † |
| December | 31% | 21% | 65 | 9 °C | 0% | 54% | 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 Saumur → Parthenay, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Saumur → Parthenay | Headwind > 15 km/h, Parthenay → Saumur | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.9 | 17% | 5% | Parthenay → Saumur |
| February | −2.2 | 17% | 8% | Parthenay → Saumur |
| March | −0.8 | 14% | 8% | either |
| April | +0.8 | 8% | 8% | either |
| May | +0.7 | 8% | 7% | either |
| June | +0.2 | 6% | 5% | either |
| July | −0.5 | 7% | 3% | either |
| August | −0.4 | 6% | 3% | either |
| September | +0.6 | 7% | 6% | either |
| October | −2.2 | 14% | 5% | Parthenay → Saumur |
| November | −3.4 | 17% | 6% | Parthenay → Saumur |
| December | −4.0 | 18% | 5% | Parthenay → Saumur |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 356–381 | S | +0.3 |
| 381–406 | S | +0.5 |
| 406–431 | S | +1.5 |
| 431–456 | S | +1.0 |
| 456–474 | SW | −0.9 |
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.