La Vélo Francette, Itinéraire principal, stage 5: Parthenay → La Rochelle
On stage 5 (Parthenay → La Rochelle, 140 km) the best month is September: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (0.8 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 | 28% | 24% | 79 | 9 °C | 0% | 56% | 9.0 † |
| February | 46% | 23% | 66 | 10 °C | 0% | 38% | 10.3 † |
| March | 63% | 25% | 69 | 13 °C | 0% | 16% | 11.8 |
| April | 77% | 22% | 57 | 17 °C | 0% | 3% | 13.5 |
| May | 73% | 26% | 70 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.0 |
| June | 71% | 21% | 62 | 23 °C | 8% | 0% | 15.8 |
| July | 74% | 12% | 34 | 26 °C | 15% | 0% | 15.4 |
| August | 73% | 12% | 38 | 25 °C | 15% | 0% | 14.2 |
| September | 78% | 17% | 49 | 23 °C | 5% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 77% | 22% | 79 | 18 °C | 0% | 1% | 10.8 † |
| November | 58% | 27% | 87 | 13 °C | 0% | 18% | 9.3 † |
| December | 35% | 24% | 84 | 10 °C | 0% | 46% | 8.6 † |
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 Parthenay → La Rochelle, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Parthenay → La Rochelle | Headwind > 15 km/h, La Rochelle → Parthenay | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.7 | 18% | 8% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| February | −2.7 | 20% | 9% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| March | −1.9 | 19% | 10% | either |
| April | −0.4 | 13% | 11% | either |
| May | −2.2 | 16% | 9% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| June | −2.5 | 13% | 6% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| July | −4.4 | 18% | 5% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| August | −3.8 | 14% | 3% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| September | −0.8 | 11% | 9% | either |
| October | −1.2 | 13% | 7% | either |
| November | −2.9 | 16% | 6% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
| December | −3.0 | 18% | 8% | La Rochelle → Parthenay |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 474–499 | SW | −0.2 |
| 499–524 | S | +0.3 |
| 524–549 | W | −1.3 |
| 549–575 | W | −2.0 |
| 575–601 | SW | −0.9 |
| 601–614 | 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.