Day 2 Bagnoles de l’Orne to La Fleche 79 miles
Elevation Gain: 1727m Garmin file: http://connect.garmin.com/course/8051257
Overview
The day starts off gently undulating through little hamlets and nice countryside. Pleasant quiet roads with some nice sweeping downhills and rises are waiting for us before our lunch stop by the lake with a beach in the forest north of Sille Le Guillame. As the afternoon progresses the terrain on this, the longest of our cycling days, gets gradually easier as we make our way through small villages and woodland to the smart town of La Fleche with it’s distinctive limestone buildings.
Practical Notes
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We are on a lot of quiet country roads today and although it is very light traffic, the odd car that you see tends to be going quite quickly so be careful on any narrow sections of road if you are cycling two abreast and watch out for blind bends too.
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As we come in to La Fleche at the end of the day we go through a couple of no entry signs that are ok for bikes to go down, it can however be a little disconcerting having traffic come towards you on a narrow street so keep an eye out for the markings on the floor indicating the cycle strip.
Map
Start point
At the front of Hotel Du Beryl at 8.30.
Elevation Profile
Lunch
After 37 miles
Au Refuge Du Trappeur, La Plage, Sille Le Guillaume, 0033(0)243 201748
Evening meal
Meet at the hotel courtyard at 19.15 or meet at the restaurant at 19.30.
La Relais Delice 0033 (0)243 940957
Directions: Go L out of the hotel (facing away from) then take your first L. At the first road you come to go L and opposite Tonic Fitness Club go R. When you come to the street opposite Hotel Le Verte Galant, look to your L and you will see the restaurant.
Route Notes
Miles Route
0 Facing away from the hotel, go L to a r-bout, once at the r-bout go L.
0.5 Follow the road round to a mini r-bout and go L to Couterne along the D335.
2.2 Come to a T-junction and go L along the D916, take care for traffic.
2.3 Shortly after take the next R to the Aeorodrome.
2.7 Follow the road round to the R, keeping R and you will come to a church, go L just before the church to Antoigny 3 (Sign hard to see).
4.0 Eventually you will come to a T-junction, go L along the D20 to Antoigny 1.
4.3 A few hundred metres on go R to Antoigny.
4.7 Come to a junction opposite a little church and go R.
6.4 Come into St Ouen and you will meet a mini-r-bout at a church, go straight over to Neuilly-le-V.
6.7 A few hundred metres on keep L to Neuilly-le-V.
7.5 You will come to a T-junction at the D176, go L here to Couptrain 4, cycle on a short way and then just past the church go R along rue de Lavoir. There is a Marie here (village town hall) with some toilets attached.
9.2 Eventually you will come to a crossroads, go straight over.
11.4 Come to a junction in St Aignan and go L, then just before the church go R to St Cyr en Pail.
14.6 After a long rise come to a junction with the N12 and go L to Alencon 28 shortly after, taking care for traffic, go L into the car park and you should see the brew van if all is well!
After brew continue along the road you were on past a church and a few hundred metres on go R at a stone religious cross. Go R again immediately after this turn. (there are no road signs.)
16.5 Come to a crossroads at the D20 and go straight over and continue up the hill.
17.5 Come to another crossroads and go R along the D204 to St Julien.
This is the start of a fairly long downhill and the road is a little bumpy in parts
23.0 Come to a T-junction at the D121 and go R to Gesvres 0.5.
23.4 Part way into Gesvres 25 metres after a Renault Garage go L along rue de l’Hotel du Cheval Blanc. (sign hard to see)
After the turn keep R of the church to St Paul le G.
27.5 Drop down to a crossroads in St Paul le Gaultier and go straight over to St Georges le Gaultier 3.
29.0 Come into St Georges le Gaultier, follow the road round to the R (toilets here), drop down past the RHS of the church, and carry straight on down to St Germain de Coulamer 6 and Mount Saint Jean 8.
30.0 The road descends and passes over a small bridge,by a small lake, a few hundred metres further on there is a fork in the road, fork R here along the D168 to St Germain de Coulamer.
A little further on keep L
32.0 Come to some crossroads and go L along the D203 to Sille le Guillaume 11 and Mount Saint Jean (there is a small stone cross at a house here). Stay on this road.
Further along you will go up a long steady climb
36.6 Eventually you will come to a T-junction, we will be going R here to Sille le Guillaume 3 along the D203 but before that we will be having lunch in a restaurant by the beach! To reach the restaurant go L here, follow the road for a short while and then opposite a car park on your R you will see:
Au Refuge Du Trappeur, La Plage, Sille Le Guillaume, 0033(0)243 201748
After lunch go back the way you came but this time just stay on the road as it bends round to the L heading for Sille le Guillaume
38.8 Come into Sille le Guillaume and at the T-junction go R along the D105 heading into town.
39.0 You will drop down to another junction opposite the Gendarmerie, slow down and taking care for traffic go L following Toutes Directions. This stop junction is not marked very well so please make sure you are going slow as it seems like you don’t have to stop but you do.
The road descends, take care for potholes here
39.5 The road bends round to the R, then L and then you will pass some flagpoles on your descent, if you wish to have a nosy at the chateau you can go L here for a look. Otherwise, a few hundred metres past the flagpoles go L at the no left turn sign 3.5t! (ok for us).
39.6 Follow the narrow road down past the LHS of Le Club and down to a set of traffic lights taking care to stop at the stop junction part way down.
Continue straight on through any traffic lights along this busier section of road.
40.2 Keep straight on and then just before a long rise take the 2nd R along the D45 to Rouez 5.
The road climbs gradually and if you look to your R you will be able to see the chateau at Sille le Guillaime
42.8 Come to a junction opposite the church in Rouez and continue round to the R to St Symphorien along the D101, continue to follow signs for St Symphorien for the next 5 miles or so.
There are some toilets near the Marie here
47.7 You will come to a stop sign at a T-junction go L to St Symphorien 0.8 along the D28.
48.4 Come into St Symphorien, carry on past the church and a few hundred metres on go R to Epineu le Chevreuil along the D101.
50.8 Come into Epinue le Chevreuil and at the stop sign continue straight on. Go past the church on your R and on the other side of the church go R, L dog-leg to Longnes, keep L.
Continue to follow signs for Longnes.
52.8 Come to a T-junction at the D357 and go L to Longnes 0.5.
53.1 Go past the Longnes place sign and then a few hundred metres on go R along the D69 to Auvers sous Montfaucon 2.
Shortly after the turning there is a toilet on your R here.
54.3 Come into Auvers Sous Montfaucon, follow the road round to the L, then R and continue on. On the other side of the village follow signs for Crannes en Champagne.
56.4 Come into Crannes en Champagne and at the stop sign go L to Vallon s Gee. A bit further on at the church follow the round to the R along the D68 to Vallon s Gee 2.5.
58.0 At the stop sign in Vallon s Gee go straight on, then at the second stop sign go R along the D22 to St Pierre des Bois.
Follow the road round for a few hundred metres and then just past a butchers go L to Pirmil 6 along a narrow road on the D69 (at the time of writing the signs were covered so be careful not to miss this turn).
60.8 Go down a short dip then fork L along the D43 to Maigne 2 ½ , be careful not to miss this turn. Follow the road round to the L and then a few hundred metres up the rise take the next R, (there are no road signs).
62.5 You will meet a crossroads, go straight over continuing to Noyen.
64.3 Come to a T-junction on the outskirts of Noyen and go R.
65.0 You will go under a rail bridge and then come to a stop sign, go R here following Toutes Directions, stay on this road.
65.3 You will come to a T-junction, go L here following Autres Directions.
There are some good old fashioned sit down toilets here, one of them even has a seat!!!
65.5 Come to a T-junction opposite a church and go R following Toutes Directions along the D309
65.6 Come to a stop sign on the other side of Noyen and continue straight on the D309 to Parce and Sable.
65.9 A few hundred metres on the road forks at a small church go L here to La Fleche along the D41.
69.7 Go over a bridge in Malicorne sur Sarthe and then go L following Autres Directions and then follow the road round to the R.
69.9 Stay on this road past a big car park on your L and then a few hundred metres further on the road bends round to the L to La Fleche, you need to go R here (straight on) to Villaines s/s Malicorne 6 along the D41.
73.0 Come into Villaines s/s Malicorne (there are some toilets here), continue along the D41 following signs for La Fleche.
77.0 You will come to the place sign La Fleche quartier Verron, a little further on just before the church the road bends round to the R to La Fleche at a stop sign, you need to go L here to St Germain Duval, be careful not to miss this turn.
77.2 A few hundred metres on follow the road round sharp L then, joining the cycle path, take the next R to Zone Activites des eturcies, you need to join the cycle path on the LHS of the road here.
77.7 The cycle path reaches an end with a busy road and roundabout on your R, go L here on the quieter road running parallel to the busy one.
78.4 Go straight over a mini r-bout and then further on come to a larger r-bout and go straight over to Centre Ville.
78.7 Keep straight on at any junctions and eventually you will come to a junction opposite a no entry sign. You will notice the words Sauf Velo on the sign, this means it is ok for bikes so go straight on here keeping an eye on the oncoming traffic.
78.9 Continue along this road to a crossroads at the end of Rue De La Magdelaine with a Bar Tabac on your R. Go R here and then keep straight on (R,L Dogleg) along the narrow rue des Fosses.
79.2 You will meet the busy main road, taking care for traffic go L here (there is a pedestrian crossing if you need one) cycle on a few hundred metres and then as you approach the lights move into the L filter lane and go L at the lights.
78.3 continue straight on towards the ornate military academy building, go past a church on your L then you will notice some hotel signs and a shopping street on your R, go R here along the shopping strip Grande Rue.
78.4 At the end of the short shopping strip carry straight on at a stop sign and then 50 metres on go L along rue Bertrand Toutain, carry straight on towards a Boulangerie and go straight over the road here. At the next crossroads go R and you will see the hotel entrance on your R.
Monsieur Henri Charell – Relais Cicéro,18 Boulevard d’Alger,72200,La Flèche,