ViaRhôna, stage 6: Avignon → Sète
On stage 6 (Avignon → Sète, 154 km) the best month is March: 84% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (0.5 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 | 59% | 14% | 61 | 11 °C | 0% | 32% | 9.3 † |
| February | 71% | 14% | 49 | 13 °C | 0% | 17% | 10.4 † |
| March | 84% | 13% | 64 | 16 °C | 0% | 4% | 11.8 |
| April | 81% | 19% | 62 | 19 °C | 0% | 1% | 13.4 |
| May | 80% | 17% | 63 | 23 °C | 3% | 0% | 14.7 |
| June | 63% | 12% | 36 | 27 °C | 26% | 0% | 15.4 |
| July | 42% | 7% | 20 | 30 °C | 54% | 0% | 15.1 |
| August | 48% | 7% | 37 | 30 °C | 47% | 0% | 14.0 |
| September | 76% | 13% | 80 | 25 °C | 11% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 80% | 20% | 115 | 21 °C | 0% | 0% | 10.9 † |
| November | 74% | 21% | 104 | 15 °C | 0% | 6% | 9.6 † |
| December | 66% | 16% | 60 | 12 °C | 0% | 21% | 8.9 † |
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 Avignon → Sète, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Avignon → Sète | Headwind > 15 km/h, Sète → Avignon | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.7 | 3% | 10% | Avignon → Sète |
| February | +1.7 | 3% | 10% | either |
| March | +0.5 | 5% | 9% | either |
| April | −0.7 | 5% | 7% | either |
| May | −1.3 | 6% | 7% | either |
| June | −2.4 | 7% | 5% | Sète → Avignon |
| July | −2.8 | 7% | 4% | Sète → Avignon |
| August | −1.7 | 4% | 5% | either |
| September | −0.2 | 3% | 6% | either |
| October | +1.9 | 2% | 8% | either |
| November | +2.4 | 3% | 9% | Avignon → Sète |
| December | +2.3 | 3% | 8% | Avignon → Sète |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in March, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 608–633 | SW | +1.7 |
| 633–662 | SW | +3.5 |
| 662–692 | SW | +1.9 |
| 692–719 | W | −0.7 |
| 719–744 | SW | −2.7 |
| 744–762 | SW | −1.9 |
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.