France on two wheels - Tour de France

from Saturday 12.30pm ITV4, 12.55pm Eurosport 1

 

The postponed Tour de France finally gets under way on Saturday in Nice. For the 107th edition of the world’s greatest bike race, riders will be tested for coronavirus before and during the race, spectators urged to wear face masks, and autographs and selfies won’t be allowed. However, one thing will not change: there’ll be plenty of spectacular scenery throughout the 3,470km journey to the Champs-Elysées.

 

UK travellers now have to quarantine for 14 days after returning from France, which means there will be few British spectators on the roadside this year, but why not embark on your own bike tour in 2021? France has a huge variety of well-signposted routes and many have car-free sections. Here are four that are perfect for cyclists who prefer to pootle rather than sweat, with lots of opportunity for pit stops and detours. 

 

FOLLOW THE MIGHTY LOIRE

The 900km Loire by Bike route follows France’s longest river from Burgundy to the Atlantic, via Nevers, Orleans, Saumur, Tours and Nantes. Largely flat, it alternates between cycle paths and quiet roads, so it’s perfect for beginners and families.  Much of the route runs parallel to a train line, making it easy to do one-way trips, and a special bike train shuttles between Orléans and Le Croisic from spring to September. The Loire is known as “the royal river” and history buffs who are fond of flamboyant palaces will be spoilt for choice. You also pedal through the Loire Valley’s finest wine districts.  Perhaps the loveliest section is the 150km stretch from Tours to Saumur, which winds past sculpted Renaissance gardens, extravagant châteaux,  vineyards and miles of caves that house hotels, restaurants, galleries and wineries.

 loirebybike.co.uk

 

ROLL FROM BRITTANY TO THE BELGIAN BORDER

Wending 1,500km from Roscoff to Dunkirk, the Vélo Maritime follows the Brittany, Normandy and Nord-Pasde-Calais coast. The route won’t be officially opened until next year, but the signposting is over 90 per cent complete. Highlights include postcard-perfect St-Malo and Honfleur, the D-Day Landing beaches and Etretat’s towering chalk cliffs. About a third of the route is on car-free paths and the rest is on peaceful lanes.

lavelomaritime.com

 

MEANDER ALONG THE CANAL DU MIDI

The 17th-century Canal du Midi meanders 240km from Toulouse to Sète on the Mediterranean coast, and is the oldest working canal in the world. With 99 locks and 40 aqueducts, it passes by fairy-tale Carcassonne, lovely Béziers, the Ancient Greek port of Agde, and through the Petite Camargue, a wetland inhabited by flamingos and wild horses. The plane tree-lined towpath is flat and car-free, if a little bumpy, and the scenery is bucolic.

canaldumidi.bike

 

AMBLE ALONG ALSACE’S WINE ROUTE

Ride through rolling vineyards under lush peaks sprinkled with medieval castles as you bike Alsace’s famous wine route. The Véloroute du Vignoble skirts the foothills of the Vosges mountains, rolling along old railway lines, vineyard paths, tranquil country lanes and an old Roman road. The 131km route begins just outside Strasbourg in Molsheim and ends at Thann, winding through chocolate-box towns and villages where brightly painted halftimbered houses adorned with flowers line cobblestoned streets, such as Alsace’s ridiculously quaint wine capital, Colmar. Naturally, there’s plenty of opportunity to quench your thirst en route. Many villages have wintubs (wine bars), cellars offering tastings of the region’s signature tipples — riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot gris and pinot noir — and you can refuel on hearty, German-influenced cuisine.

www.wineroute.alsace/cycling