Day 7 Le Mont Dore – St Flour 65 miles
Garmin file: https://connect.garmin.com/course/8117687 Elevation Gain: 1814m
Overview
We start off the day today with a great climb out, followed by a great descent in the impressive landscape of the Volcanic area of the Puy de Dome and Auvergne. The stunning scenery and great downhills are more than reward for puffing up the climbs. The tour itself starts to get a little hillier from here on in and it is worth getting used to ticking away up the hills rather than attacking them as you may do in Britain. After lunch there is a bit more climbing followed by a very nice fifteen mile descent.
Practical Notes
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The morning starts with a tough climb and has a number of climbs before lunch.
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There aren’t many public toilets along todays route.
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Lunch is in Marcenat after 37 miles.
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This is one of the toughest days of the tour.
Map
Elevation Profile
Start Point
Outside the Grand Hotel at 8.30. If you are staying at the Russie Hotel then go R from the hotel then go L and you will come to the Grand Hotel.
Lunch
Restaurant De Post in Marcenat (0033 471 406 325) at 37.0 miles
Evening meal – There are a choice of restaurants in St Flour.
Route Notes
Miles Route
0 From facing away from the Grand Hotel go R to La Tour d’Augne & Besse Le Sancy.
Continue past Bessacs ski shop.
0.6 On the other side of Le Mont Dore just before you meet a main road, go L to Besse.
Follow the road down as it drops briefly then turn R to BESSE par col-Croix S Robert. Get into a low gear as this is the start of a difficult climb.
4.0 You will reach the summit of the climb at 1451m and keep straight on and you will have a nice winding descent. Please take care here.
Towards the bottom and at the bottom of the climb continue to follow the signs for Besse.
7.6 Further along you will come to Moneaux – stay on the D36 to Besse.
15.7 When you come into Le Ville Tour. Follow the road round then go L to Toutes Directions
When you come to a STOP sign go L to Toutes Directions.
16.0 The road drops down sharply, look out and go R part way down the descent to Centre Ville. Follow the road up and round and you will come to the Hotel de la Providence de la Poste – go L here. Follow the road along and keep R for Super Besse and follow the road up and round to the L. If you take the road to the R of the hotel and continue into the town centre you will find some public toilets.
16.4 At the r-bout go L for Autres Directions along the D149. Follow the road down.
16.5 At the next r-bout go R (1st exit) and stay on the D36 to Compains 10 (after you have taken the 1st exit the road forks, keep L).
18.5 Further along the road forks again. This time keep R to Compains 7.
Further on you will climb and then the road descends, there are loose stone and mud on the descent so take care here.
22.6 Eventually you will come to a junction with the D26. Go R here to Espinchal 8 and Egliseneuve 15.
25.0 You will go past a café and then keep straight on continuing along the D26 to Espinchal 4 and Egliseneuve 10.
Be careful further on as there are potholes, loose stone, moss and mud on a few bends.
27.3 Just pass the Espinchal place sign, keep L and follow the river.
27.5 Further along into Espinchal the road forks, go L along the D625 to Mont Greleix.
The road climbs
29.3 When you meet with another road keep R to Mont Greliex along the D636.
31.0 You will descend past a farm which has dogs running loose and mud on the road.
32.0 Pass by the small village of Mont Greleix.
The road descends here and has a number of bends so please take extra care.
33.5 At the bottom of the hill keep straight on to Marcenat.
33.9 Follow the road round to the L to Marcenat along the D36.
36.4 When you come to Marcenat you will meet a T-jcn. Go L here.
36.5 Continue through Marcenat and then go L to Allanche.
Lunch will either be at the Restaurant De Post in Marcenat.
Stay on the D679 to Allanche.
44.8 When you come into Allanche go straight on (you will come to a No Entry sign so go down the R side of the road). Continue straight ahead and continue through the centre of town along the D679 to St. Flour.
50.0 Continue through Ste-Anastasie. There is a small café here.
53.0 Eventually you come to a junction with the N122. Go R here to Murat 10. After approx 80m get in the L hand lane and go L at Café Du Nord to Neussargues 1.5, Talizat 11.
N.B – If you are uncomfortable at that turning it is also possible to go underneath the road.
The road climbs steadily and the road is slightly busier.
58.0 Follow the road through Talizat and continue to St. Flour. There is a café in Talizat.
64.0 After a while you will see the sign for St Flour and go over a bridge. Keep straight on.
Further along the road rises up and you will go over a railtrack.
The road rises and winds up for quite a while to the Centre Ville.
At the top of the climb you will come to a r-bout, be careful at this busy r-bout and go R and then straight on in between two large car parks.
65.4 At the next r-bout go L and you will see the Grand Hotel de l’Europe on your R.
Grand Hotel de l’Europe
12-13 Cours Spy-des-Ternes, 15100 Saint-Flour
0033 471 600 364