This is the cycle route of the river Loir – and that’s the Loir, not the Loire; the four-letter Loir is a tributary of the much better known five-letter river.

These tiny country roads faithfully follow the twisting Loir from its source above Illiers Combray down to the confluence at Angers. Brief hills either side of La Chartre aside, this is a gentle descent with little to tax the legs.

The island city of Vendôme has an imposing abbey. The fine rail-trail to La Flèche is the one significant traffic-free section on the route. Scenically the highlight is after Vendôme, on the steep-sided valley to Trôo where cave dwellings have been dug into the rock.

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