This is a demanding tour, requiring participants to already be in good cycling shape if they want to join, so for our first day in the saddle we dive in head-first. For two cities with such close economic connections, it’s surprising how poorly Lyon and Saint-Étienne are linked for cycling.

Our route today is largely on the regional road network, striking a delicate balance between the less-trafficked hill routes and the flatter higher-traffic roads. Some of the loveliest scenery is along the Gier River Valley, despite frequently sharing the road with local and regional traffic. We’re also definitely heading upstream, with significant stretches of rigorous climbs. Though the terrain regularly fluctuates with its ups and downs, be prepared for well over 1000m of vertical gain over the course of today’s 70km.

Saint-Étienne is the capital of the Loire département, with its history tied to mineral deposits in the surrounding mountains. Today it’s more of a quiet sibling to bustling Lyon that we explored yesterday, though its city centre certainly retains a lot of its historic charm.

After yesterday’s intense day of climbs and busy roads, you should be warmed up for today’s distance day: the longest on the tour at 96km. We start off with some respectable ups and downs as we depart Saint-Étienne northwards, putting a good proportion of our day’s climbs behind us in the morning.

Our ride today is entirely within the Loire département, and indeed this is where we first encounter the emblematic Loire River. The small river is clearly much closer to its headwaters here than in along its more-famous stretches further north, though its regional importance is already evident. Roanne is a pleasant inland port town along the river, with a busy marina and waterfront promenade.

The rides of the past couple of days were fairly long and intense, so today’s calmer countryside route should be a welcome break. We head out of Roanne on a dedicated cycle path along the banks of a canal, which eventually heads through a number of villages along a former railroad line. Thanks to the trees lining the cycle routes, much of today’s ride is actually shaded.

Our overnight is in the small town of Digoin, which is another inland port town at the crossroads of diverging canals. The 243m stone aqueduct, first opened to navigation in 1838, carries the western canal over the Loire.

Budget participants will be camping just at the edge of town tonight, directly on the river.

After yesterday’s relaxing riding day, we start today’s ride with another level stretch of hard-packed cycle paths along the canal banks. We pass through quaint little towns like Pierrefitte-sur-Loire, Diou, and Dompierre-sur-Besbre, which all offer decent lunch stops. After Dompierre however, our route heads straight through a vast agricultural landscape where you’ll spend the second half of the day on small roads used mostly by tractors.

We spend the night in the bustling town of Moulins, capitol city of Allier département and directly on the Allier River. Several impressive churches are worth a visit in the city centre, as is the Régemortes bridge over the Allier, inaugurated in 1773.

Budget participants get to stay in spartan dorm rooms at the historic seat of the diocese, just across the bridge and built in the same era.

If you enjoyed yesterday afternoon’s ride through rural agricultural landscapes, you’ll love today’s route even more. Once we leave the town of Moulins behind us, we’re really on small country roads for the majority of the day today. The route alternates between stretches of agriculture, and stretches of forest, with a handful of tiny hamlets scattered few and far between.

Near the end of the ride we rejoin the canal we left yesterday morning, which leads us to Nevers, the capital of Nièvre département. Its relatively small city centre nonetheless offers a number of sites worth a visit, such as the extravagant Palace of the Dukes, the ornate Gothic cathedral, and a number of well-preserved medieval homes.

Budget participants will be camping on the south bank of the Loire, overlooking the 14-arched bridge connecting with Nevers town just opposite.

As we leave Nevers behind and rejoin the canal on the south bank, we join up with the monumental 4450km Eurovélo 6 route that connects the Atlantic to the Black Sea. You’ll likely notice some of the transcontinental cycle tourists by their overloaded panniers, and you’ll be glad to whiz by them on your unladen bike!

Following the canal and the river, you’ll get a good feel for this stretch of historic villages, most of which have quaint bakeries or cafés if you’re ready for a break. Near the end of the day you’ll find yourself surrounded in vineyards, which were already well-known for their quality in Gallo-Roman times! After a full day of flat riding, we finish with a 3km climb to the medieval hilltop town of Sancerre with its breathtaking views over the vineyards and the Loire Valley.

Budget participants will be camping in Saint-Satur, just off the main cycling route. A walk or ride up to Sancerre is still recommended for the view!

Today’s ride is a fairly straight shot along the canal and river, with essentially no climbing for the entire day. We cross the Loire’s right bank fairly early in the day, giving us the opportunity to cross back at Briare along the aqueduct whose extremities are adorned with recently-restored chimeras.

The Loire Valley is famous for its concentration of castles, and our destination today is a small town with a beautifully-maintained château surrounded by a big moat and garden.

Budget participants are camping on the opposite bank of the Loire, across the bridge that leads directly from Sully’s castle.

Our final riding day of the tour we ride through a handful of picturesque riverfront towns, and we cross from bank to bank over several of the river’s bridges. Châteauneuf-sur-Loire is worth a stopover, where you can visit its city hall set in a 17th-century castle overlooking vast manicured gardens.

Our destination is the capital of the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, whose walkable city centre will entice you with its outdoor terrasses and ornate architecture. The Sainte-Croix cathedral is arguably the city’s centrepiece, dedicated to the city’s famous hero, Joan of Arc.

Our group will gather tonight for our final group dinner (included) to celebrate everyone completing the tour. Congratulations, you’ve just spent the past eight days cycling over 550km from Lyon to Orléans!