La Vélosud, stage 2: Pau → Lannemezan
On stage 2 (Pau → Lannemezan, 126 km) the best month is October: 71% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (0.9 km/h on average; ERA5 2006–2025, 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 | 31% | 31% | 115 | 9 °C | 0% | 59% | 9.3 † |
| February | 47% | 28% | 96 | 11 °C | 0% | 42% | 10.4 † |
| March | 53% | 36% | 115 | 13 °C | 0% | 29% | 11.8 |
| April | 58% | 39% | 132 | 16 °C | 0% | 11% | 13.3 |
| May | 57% | 42% | 153 | 18 °C | 0% | 3% | 14.7 |
| June | 58% | 37% | 153 | 22 °C | 6% | 0% | 15.4 |
| July | 65% | 26% | 99 | 24 °C | 10% | 0% | 15.1 |
| August | 63% | 23% | 91 | 25 °C | 15% | 0% | 13.9 |
| September | 70% | 27% | 92 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 71% | 27% | 103 | 19 °C | 0% | 3% | 10.9 † |
| November | 51% | 34% | 139 | 13 °C | 0% | 28% | 9.6 † |
| December | 41% | 28% | 102 | 10 °C | 0% | 47% | 9.0 † |
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 Pau → Lannemezan, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Pau → Lannemezan | Headwind > 15 km/h, Lannemezan → Pau | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.4 | 0% | 4% | Pau → Lannemezan |
| February | +2.6 | 0% | 5% | Pau → Lannemezan |
| March | +2.9 | 0% | 6% | Pau → Lannemezan |
| April | +2.0 | 0% | 3% | either |
| May | +2.4 | 0% | 4% | Pau → Lannemezan |
| June | +1.6 | 0% | 2% | either |
| July | +1.8 | 0% | 2% | either |
| August | +1.7 | 0% | 2% | either |
| September | +1.7 | 0% | 2% | either |
| October | +0.9 | 0% | 2% | either |
| November | +2.0 | 0% | 4% | Pau → Lannemezan |
| December | +1.8 | 0% | 4% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 134–160 | SE | +1.6 |
| 160–185 | E | +0.9 |
| 185–210 | NE | −1.4 |
| 210–236 | E | +1.7 |
| 236–260 | SE | +1.9 |
Other stages
- Bayonne → Pau 134 km
- Pau → Lannemezan 126 km
- Lannemezan → Saint-Girons 125 km
- Saint-Girons → Espéraza 117 km
- Espéraza → Le Barcarès 106 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.