SUNDAY MAIL SEVEN DAYS MARCH 6, 2016 17

Cyclists will find picture-postcard villages and plenty of attractions riding through La à Vélo – 250 miles of trails in Sarthe, north-west

FIONA RUSSELL Say Velo, wave goodbye With the sun warming my outline of another chateau or abbey valley. Te Loir is the far less back and the cycling easy, I or saw, in the distance, the next touristy sibling of the Valley, wonder why anyone would village, each prettier than the one 30 miles further south. holiday without a bike. before and almost all boasting a It might lack some of the Loire’s Travel My route –in the Sarthe region picture-postcard church. headline-grabbing attractions but it info of north-west France – is trafc-free Tomorrow promised another boasts castles, renowned wines and along a smooth, fat and straight chateau – the decadently renovated many charming towns and villages. Chateau de Grand-Lucé and a Te cycling is a little hillier in this greenway that was once a railway ■Fiona flew with QUIET HAVEN Village of Asnières-sur-Vègre line. vineyard, Vin Gigou at La valley but more undulating than Chartre-sur-le-Loir. anything I am familiar with back her bike with Earlier, I rode on peaceful roads easyJet from and when I encountered trafc, Riding solo and carrying only home in Scotland. While La Sarthe a Velo has an Glasgow to the drivers were disarmingly polite basic clothing and kit, I thoroughly then by SNCF impressive amount of waymarking, – even when I went the wrong way on enjoyed my four-day journey train to . through the Sarthe department. at times the navigation can be a roundabout. ■She stayed at Le Mans, made famous by the tricky when exiting towns or Le Charleston, I enjoyed time of my bike too, motor racing circuit, is less than an where vegetation has grown to popping into a fascinating ecological Le Mans; hour’s direct train journey from Paris. cover signposts. La Maison de garden, Te Jardin Mosaïque at Recently it has promoted itself as a But this is part of the adventure Asnières-sur-Vègre, looking in on the Charlotte, cycling destination with 250 miles of and I was equipped with maps and Solesmes; wall paintings at the nearby church signposted trails, “La Sarthe à Vélo”. a bike GPS gadget. 5 Grande Rue of St Hilaire and visiting a ceramics If riding leisurely routes on mostly As a solo rider, there was comfort Chambres museum at La Flèche. fat terrain amid a bucolic countryside in the signposted routes and a sense d’Hotes, I refuelled at embarrassingly between historic towns, cities and of purpose each day. I got up, ate ; La frequent intervals times on delicious plentiful attractions sounds like breakfast, charted my route and had Roiserie, Le pastries, good cofee, creamy your thing, Sarthe is a cycle touring an overnight destination in mind. Grand Luce. CAFE STOP At Souge le Ganelon village tartifette, frites and several glasses heaven on earth. Booking B&Bs ahead of the holiday ■See “Great of ice-cold cola. I was blessed by days of sunshine removed some of the cycling fexibility places to stay Later, I planned to explore Château and light or non-existent winds. but also overcame any anxiety about (and eat) while du Lude – a magnifcent castle of the Each day, I rode around 50 miles fnding a bed for the night. Te planned riding La Sarthe frst French Renaissance in the a Velo” at www. and followed two routes – the V44 routes also stuck, where possible, to fionaoutdoors. historic town of Le Lude before and the V47. Te V44 links the historic greenways and quieter country roads. resting at a bike-friendly chambres co.uk town of Alençon in the north with I took my road racer bike with ■The trip d’hotes (house with guest rooms). Le Mans then on to Sablé in the west, 25mm tyres but my advice would was supported Te previous day was rewardingly which I discovered is the home of be to ride a hybrid or tourer bike. by Sarthe similar. Leaving the vibrant city of Le a delicious shortbread-style biscuit. If I had been travelling for longer, Développement Mans on a trafc-free riverside path, I It’s also close to the Abbey de I might have enjoyed shorter riding and Tourist Office cycled for hours on quiet country Solesmes, which ofers the eerie days and more time at some of the of the Loir. roads through picturesque farmland. but uplifting opportunity to listen more spectacular castles. ■For more Sometimes I could see only felds to Gregorian chants. Tat’s the beauty of cycle touring, holiday ideas, of tall, waving sunfowers and closely From La Lude, the V47 Vallée do as many or as few miles as you visit www. planted stems of green corn. du Loir à Vélo takes cyclists on a fancy and enjoy exploring a diferent tourisme-en- POT LUCK La Flèche has ceramics museum At other times, I glimpsed the delightful tour of the lesser-known country at the perfect pedalling pace. sarthe.com

HISTORIC Fiona cycles beside the castle at Le Lude in Loir ”Sarthe is a cycle touring heaven on earth”