44,10 km cycling route from Les Sables d'Olonne to La Tranche-sur-Mer
In this fairytale setting are both Les Sables (world capital of yacht racing) and La Rochelle, (the ‘broken rebel’ capital of Aunis) centre stage. The Vendéenne coast brings the cycle routes back to the Poitevin Marshes. Once past the Sèvre Niortaise River, we find ourselves at Charente-Maritime and the Marans canal which leads straight to the Old Port. After St-Vincent, La Vélodyssée winds its way into the large national forest of Longeville, drawing close to the sea on two occasions from where beautiful beaches can easily be accessed, such as Les Conches. A quick dip is a must on this stage!
Elevation of the stage
128 m119 m
Waytypes of the stage
Cycle path: 31,53 km
By road: 12,33 km
Surface of the stage
Lisse: 32,28 km
Rugueux: 8,40 km
Accidenté: 3,18 km
Itinerary
Beautiful stage, accessible to all, alternating small lanes with designated cycle lanes. Remain alert at the road diversion Talmont-St-Hilaire which the route crosses twice.
I found some of the route labels hard to see on this section and managed to get lost or simply miss the signs a few times. But the route through the woodlands is beautiful. This section is quite long so make sure that you have plenty of water to sustain you!
Travellers’ reviews
I found some of the route labels hard to see on this section and managed to get lost or simply miss the signs a few times. But the route through the woodlands is beautiful. This section is quite long so make sure that you have plenty of water to sustain you!