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Cycling Holiday at the Ecole des Trois Ponts from 24.06.2006 – 08.07.2006

After 17 years of holidays with the our children we could finally have one on our own! Until now cycling had dominated our summer holiday. My son, who is a racing cyclist in various youth groups, and myself, his training partner, used to decide the plan for each holiday. And while our daughter was happy with a beach and some horseriding, my wife never had the chance to do what she wanted to do.

Over the last few years my wife has become more interested and empassioned by the French language. So this year was to be a language holiday in France. We looked around online, and the Ecole des Trois Ponts in Roanne stood out. I was very kindly allowed to bring my racing bike along and every morning while my wife was in a class I would go cycling. As usual, I’d obtained some leaflets and maps to plan my cycle routes, and would follow them whilst my wife worked hard at grammar and vocabulary. My level of French is best described as “non existant”. To help me prepare for the holiday, I listened to a CD with basic phrases on the way to work. 

Brühl is 700 Km away from Roanne, so it took a good 8 hours to get there. We arrived in Roanne on the last weekend in June during the afternoon. All the details regarding accommodation and courses are available on the website. My report concentrates specifically on useful information for racing cyclists.

General information:

On the whole, the roads are typically French, i.e. very gravelly but with no potholes and well signposted. Therefore I would recommend using 25’ tyres, as these make cycling on the gravel more comfortable.

Recommended route maps are: Michelin Local (scale 1:150,000) no. 326 Auvergne / Massif Central, ISBN 2-06-711404-2, or no. 327 Beaujolais, ISBN 2-06-711405-0. The maps display distances and also details of ascents. The chateau is situated southeast of Roanne. As a guide, especially on the way back, it is best to follow signs for “Parc des Sports”, which is close to the chateau and given on most signposts throughout the town.

Roanne is about 300 meters above sea level. The surrounding area of the Côte Roannaise to the west, and  the hills to the east of Roanne, are part of the Beaujolais region and are between 800 and 1000 meters above sea level.

For my cycle routes I chose the Côte Roannaise, to the west of the town, because it doesn’t take as long to get from the chateau to the first set of hills. There are two routes that can be taken here. The first leads through quiet side roads around Roanne, over Mably and St Romain-la-Motte towards Renaison (19 km). The second follows the main roads through Roanne and continues with a beautiful view of the Loire, over Villest towards Villemontais (likewise around 19 km). If you are using a mountain bike, it may be best to drive to these starting points.

After this, there are an ambundance of wonderful hill and mountain routes with few cars and many wooded areas offering shade higher up. Most of the ascents are long and moderate, between 3 and 8%; steeper ascents are also to be found. The above-mentioned maps include information on heights and gradients along each route. Croix du Lac (619m); Col de Bouchet (753m); Croix Trevingt (838m) and Croix du Sud (763m) are just some of the highlights that can be included in the tour. Small villages surrounded by beautiful lanscape, such as Chatel de Montagne or St. Just en Chevalet, are situated along the route. The ascent to Col de Bouchet. On the righthand side in the background lies Roanne.

Of course flatter routes can be found. The Plaine Roannaise encircling Roanne offers a number of possibilities for this. The side streets are always in good condition, very well signposted and with hardly a car in sight.

The view from Pic de Rochefort, direction Croix du Sud.

An example: from Roanne heading north over the D 482 leaving Pouilly on the right onto the D 487, straight through Carlieu, D 987 Chateauneuf towards La Clayette. From there head along the the D 989 St Christophe en Brionnais, then on the way back go along the D20 Ligny en Brionnais direction Charlieu and back the same way to the chateau. A bike shop that I highly recommend and only 5 minutes from the school:        Joel Lionnet, 128, rue de Charlieu, 42300 Roanne.      Tel: 04 77 71 85 41

Daily routine:

An early start to the day (breakfast from 7:30 is possible) guaranteed cooler temperatures and a round trip of 4 to 4½ hours while my wife attended her morning lessons, and with time afterwards to shower and get changed ready for lunch at 12:30 back in the chateau.

Afternoons are left free for your disposal. That is unless your partner books additional lessons. A swimming pool, pool table, table tennis and gym can be used at to keep fit and unwind. Dinner with the other guests starts at 7:30pm, leaving enough time for afternoon excursions to Roanne and its environs. No lessons take place over the weekend.

Summary:

After 2 weeks I managed to complete 11 journeys totalling 1,000 km and lots and lots of uphill climbs. Wonderful trips through the hills and mountains with unforgettable views. Well furnished bedrooms, excellent food as well as a convivial, relaxing atmosphere with a great ambiance rounded off a perfect language and cycling holiday. The idea of “total immersion” has really made an impression on me. I am now determined to improve my level of French before our next visit.

This holiday filled every expectation and we are both looking forward to our holiday in the Ecole des Trois Ponts next year.

Frank Hermes