The Loire Roannais does not appear on most international cycling itineraries. Beaujolais is forty kilometres to the east and has the wine-country cachet. The Pilat Massif is twenty kilometres further and has the summit views. The Gorges de la Loire are an hour south and have the dramatic scenery. The Roannais, in between all of them, has the quiet roads, the lower prices, and the particular advantage of a terrain that is genuinely interesting to ride without requiring a decision about which famous region to enter first.
Stage 3 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sends the race's professional peloton into this overlooked territory today. The 28.4-kilometre team time trial circuit leaves and returns to Perreux, passing through the communes of Coutouvre and Montagny — three villages on the foothills west of Roanne that most non-local cyclists would not encounter without a race route bringing them there. The circuit is rolling, technical in sections, and representative of what the Roannais offers: not spectacular, but consistently interesting, and good enough to justify a base.
The Stage 3 Circuit
The TTT circuit is the most immediately rideable option if you are following the Tour Auvergne this week. The 28.4km loop is on secondary roads with light traffic, and the profile — 4.9km at 3.5% to the opening summit, a descent, a mid-section with rolling gradients, and the final sharp ramp — produces a 40 to 55-minute effort for most recreational cyclists, depending on how much they attack the climbs.
The opening climb starts from the valley floor near Perreux and heads into the forested foothills before the road opens onto the plateau above Coutouvre. This is the section where the TTT's first split falls today. On a bike without time-trial pressure behind you, it is a pleasant 20-minute climb on a road that sees little vehicle traffic outside of race day.
The descent into Montagny is technical in two or three corners where the camber and the tree coverage combine to reduce visibility. Take it at your own pace. The final ramp before the Perreux finish is steep for its short length — roughly 8 to 10 percent in its steepest sections — and produces a satisfying finish to what is otherwise a controlled effort.
For a full race-day recreation: ride the circuit in the morning before the teams arrive (starts from 15:05 CEST), then find a position on the opening climb or the final ramp to watch. Access is straightforward by bike from Roanne.
Longer Rides from Roanne
The Beaujolais access loop (90km, 1,400m). Head east from Roanne on the D43 toward Saint-Symphorien-de-Lay, then cross into the Beaujolais via the Col du Pin Bouchain (7km at 4.5%). The Beaujolais wine route — the Route des Vins — runs north-south along the ridge and connects the main appellations (Brouilly, Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent) by roads that also happen to be good cycling. Return west via Amplepuis and the Reins valley. The route is culturally Beaujolais but the western approach is genuinely Roannais — rolling, underpopulated, and unlikely to be congested. Spring and autumn are the ideal seasons before harvest traffic increases.
Pilat Massif — Crêt de la Perdrix summit (60km round trip from Roanne, 1,800m). The Pilat Massif lies southeast of Roanne and reaches its highest point at the Crêt de la Perdrix (1,432m), accessible from Saint-Genest-Malifaux or from Pélussin. The ascent from the Roanne side adds approach kilometres through the Ondaine valley — the road runs through former mining country that has aged into quiet countryside — before the gradient commits above 800 metres. The summit plateau is exposed moorland with radio masts and views in clear conditions across the Rhône valley to the Alps. The Pilat is a significant massif — the northernmost pre-Alpine chain in France — and a half-day climbing effort rewards with a descent that the cycling circuits around Saint-Étienne have used for decades.
The Gorges de la Loire loop (120km, 1,600m). The Loire river cuts south of Roanne through a series of gorges that are now partly submerged by the Grangent and Villerest reservoirs. The cycling route that traces the gorge rim — on the D34 and D8 above Villerest — stays high enough to see the water without descending to it. The terrain changes character as you move south: the Roannais farmland thins and the rock becomes visible, the villages become smaller, and the Forez mountains appear on the eastern horizon. Return via Feurs and the flat Loire valley floor. A full day's effort with a quieter return than the outward leg.
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May through October is the standard season for the Roannais. The summer months are mild — temperatures rarely exceed 30°C, and the altitude of the Pilat and Beaujolais approaches provides natural cooling on hot days. Early June is particularly good: the roads are in good condition after winter, the farmland is green, and the TTT route itself is in race condition. Avoid the week immediately following the Tour Auvergne stage — service vehicles and temporary road closures will be clearing through Perreux.
Winter sees light snow above 600 metres and wet, cold conditions in the valley. The Pilat summit closes to cyclists from approximately November through March after reliable snowfall.
Where to Base
Roanne is the practical choice: a medium-sized city (population ~35,000) on the Loire with good train connections to Lyon (45 minutes), decent hotel infrastructure, and direct road access to the Beaujolais, Pilat, and the TTT circuit by bike from the centre. The city is not a tourist destination in the conventional sense — it is a working Loire valley town with some genuinely good restaurants, including a legacy of Troisgros family cooking that has shaped regional cuisine for decades. The Roanne train station is ten minutes by bike from the start of the Perreux TTT route.
Charlieu, 20km north of Roanne, suits cyclists who want a smaller base with access to the Brionnais plateau to the north. The Brionnais is flat to rolling Romanesque-church territory — excellent for easy ride days, less useful for serious climbing.
How to Get There
By train. Lyon Part-Dieu to Roanne: 45 minutes on the direct TER. Paris Gare de Lyon to Roanne: roughly 2.5 hours with one change at Mâcon or Lyon. Trenitalia-comparable bike policy on regional services — check SNCF bike carriage rules for the specific train.
By car. Roanne is 80km northwest of Lyon via the A89 and N7. From Paris, the A6/A46/N7 route runs 380km — about 3.5 hours in normal traffic.
What Else to Do
Gorges de Roche (cliff walking, not cycling) near Villerest reservoir, an hour south of Roanne. Canal de Roanne à Digoin — a 56km towpath north along the canal to Digoin that works as a flat cycling day or run route; the canal follows the Loire valley and passes through the wine villages of the Côte Roannaise appellation. Abbaye de Charlieu — the twelfth-century Benedictine cloister in Charlieu, one of the better-preserved in Burgundy's orbit, worth a rest-day hour.
Frequently Asked
How does the Roannais compare to Beaujolais for cycling? The Roannais has quieter roads and fewer tourists. The Beaujolais has better-known wines and a denser network of marked routes. A base in Roanne with day trips east into the Beaujolais gets you both without the summer crowds that concentrate around Fleurie and Chénas.
Is the TTT circuit accessible to ride independently? Yes. The roads through Perreux, Coutouvre, and Montagny are public and lightly trafficked outside race day. No special access is required.
What is the nearest airport? Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS), 100km by road. Transfer to Roanne by train from Lyon is the most efficient option with a bike.
Where can I find other cyclists based in the region? Connect with athletes training in the Loire and Roannais via Find Athletes near Roanne on ZealZag.
For today's Stage 3 TTT race coverage, see our Stage 3 field report. For the volcanic plateau roads that Stage 2 traced yesterday, see our Le Puy-en-Velay cycling guide.