ViaRhôna, stage 2: Valleiry → Montalieu
On stage 2 (Valleiry → Montalieu, 132 km) the best month is September: 74% 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).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10% | 29% | 134 | 6 °C | 0% | 87% | 9.0 † |
| February | 28% | 26% | 98 | 8 °C | 0% | 67% | 10.3 † |
| March | 52% | 30% | 120 | 12 °C | 0% | 34% | 11.8 |
| April | 64% | 32% | 101 | 16 °C | 0% | 11% | 13.5 |
| May | 58% | 42% | 153 | 19 °C | 0% | 2% | 14.9 |
| June | 56% | 37% | 122 | 24 °C | 9% | 0% | 15.7 |
| July | 55% | 29% | 107 | 26 °C | 19% | 0% | 15.4 |
| August | 57% | 26% | 103 | 25 °C | 19% | 0% | 14.1 |
| September | 74% | 25% | 115 | 21 °C | 1% | 1% | 12.5 |
| October | 73% | 23% | 117 | 16 °C | 0% | 8% | 10.8 † |
| November | 37% | 31% | 141 | 10 °C | 0% | 51% | 9.4 † |
| December | 11% | 33% | 161 | 6 °C | 0% | 84% | 8.7 † |
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 Valleiry → Montalieu, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Valleiry → Montalieu | Headwind > 15 km/h, Montalieu → Valleiry | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −0.1 | 1% | 1% | either |
| February | −0.6 | 1% | 1% | either |
| March | −1.0 | 2% | 2% | either |
| April | −1.2 | 2% | 2% | either |
| May | −1.2 | 1% | 2% | either |
| June | −1.1 | 1% | 1% | either |
| July | −1.4 | 1% | 0% | either |
| August | −1.2 | 1% | 0% | either |
| September | −0.6 | 1% | 1% | either |
| October | −0.4 | 1% | 1% | either |
| November | −0.1 | 1% | 1% | either |
| December | +0.2 | 1% | 0% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 106–131 | SW | +0.4 |
| 131–156 | S | +1.0 |
| 156–181 | SW | +0.5 |
| 181–207 | W | −2.1 |
| 207–232 | NW | −2.8 |
| 232–238 | N | −2.1 |
Other stages
- Saint-Gingolph → Valleiry 106 km
- Valleiry → Montalieu 132 km
- Montalieu → Vienne 122 km
- Vienne → Le Pouzin 128 km
- Le Pouzin → Avignon 123 km
- Avignon → Sète 154 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.