La Vélosud, stage 3: Lannemezan → Saint-Girons
On stage 3 (Lannemezan → Saint-Girons, 125 km) the best month is October: 73% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (1.0 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 | 26% | 29% | 97 | 8 °C | 0% | 69% | 9.3 † |
| February | 42% | 27% | 83 | 9 °C | 0% | 51% | 10.5 † |
| March | 51% | 37% | 102 | 12 °C | 0% | 35% | 11.8 |
| April | 52% | 43% | 113 | 15 °C | 0% | 16% | 13.3 |
| May | 50% | 49% | 139 | 17 °C | 0% | 5% | 14.6 |
| June | 48% | 48% | 135 | 21 °C | 4% | 0% | 15.3 |
| July | 54% | 39% | 111 | 24 °C | 8% | 0% | 15.1 |
| August | 54% | 37% | 99 | 24 °C | 10% | 0% | 13.9 |
| September | 67% | 31% | 83 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 73% | 24% | 80 | 18 °C | 0% | 5% | 10.9 † |
| November | 49% | 31% | 118 | 12 °C | 0% | 36% | 9.6 † |
| December | 38% | 25% | 85 | 9 °C | 0% | 56% | 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 Lannemezan → Saint-Girons, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Lannemezan → Saint-Girons | Headwind > 15 km/h, Saint-Girons → Lannemezan | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.8 | 0% | 4% | Lannemezan → Saint-Girons |
| February | +2.8 | 0% | 5% | Lannemezan → Saint-Girons |
| March | +2.9 | 1% | 5% | Lannemezan → Saint-Girons |
| April | +2.0 | 1% | 3% | either |
| May | +2.5 | 0% | 3% | Lannemezan → Saint-Girons |
| June | +1.6 | 0% | 1% | either |
| July | +1.9 | 0% | 2% | either |
| August | +1.7 | 0% | 1% | either |
| September | +1.8 | 0% | 1% | either |
| October | +1.0 | 0% | 1% | either |
| November | +2.2 | 0% | 3% | Lannemezan → Saint-Girons |
| December | +2.1 | 0% | 3% | Lannemezan → Saint-Girons |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 260–285 | SE | +2.2 |
| 285–310 | NE | −0.3 |
| 310–336 | E | +0.3 |
| 336–361 | E | +1.2 |
| 361–385 | SE | +1.5 |
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.