The ‘Little Queen’ treats herself to a grand loop through the Lot Valley – adapt it to suit your fancy! For casual cyclists, it’s a leisurely heritage ride. But for keen cyclists, the valley doesn’t hold back, rolling out its hills that have made even Tour de France riders break a sweat…
A tower within a tower
Chanac
What better way to start a cycle tour than with a tower? The Chanac Tower boasts 90 decades of history and four levels. And if you multiply the two, you get 360. That’s the view from the top, in degrees. This tower certainly has more than one trick up its sleeve!
But that’s not all
Bagnols-les-Bains…
Kilometre 40. My calves are starting to burn. I must say, I’ve had to pedal non-stop to escape the lion of Balsièges! And then again to delve into antiquity, the period that saw the construction of the Lanuéjols mausoleum. But at last, here’s Bagnols-les-Bains. With its thermal spring, already known to the Romans. Indeed, in the Lot Valley, history is as ubiquitous as water! Speaking of water, by the way, how about a spot of fishing before you go and relax at the spa? A 1,350-metre ‘no-kill’ stretch on a Category 1 river – you can’t turn that down!
84 metres of elevation gain
Mende
Kilometre 60. A 14th-century skyscraper on the horizon. There’s no doubt about it – here’s Mende and its immense cathedral. The bikes are parked so we can make the most of the medieval alleyways in the town centre. Because here, there are cobblestones, even if we’re not on the Paris–Roubaix route! And then, to climb the bell tower, there are plenty of stairs! Faced with the spectacle of the lush greenLot Valley, however, the effort is quickly forgotten… All that remains is a sense of wonder. And respect for those who hoisted the largest bell in Christendom here – the ‘Non Pareille’ – of which only the clapper remains today.
Little Venice
La Canourgue
Kilometre 110. A mirage in the valley. No, you’re not dreaming. In La Canourgue, there really are canals running between the houses. Little squares surrounded by water. Artisans’ stalls. Welcome to Venice! And as an added bonus, a clock tower, a windmill and a half-timbered house. As if being the ‘little Venice of Lozère’ weren’t enough…
Thematics
