My Tour de France 🇫🇷 // Day 3: Cherbourg - Caen (for Le Mans)

As the seagulls were foraging for food in the old town that morning, I enjoyed my breakfast and set off on my bike. I was actually in high spirits – well-rested after a rest day – and really looking forward to the ride. From Cherbourg to Le Mans. But things turned out quite differently. However, the resting day was well deserved. Planned and really needed. I could feel the energy, but the day has ended way different than planned, thanks to the weather.

First of all, a short sightseeing in Cherbourg. The pictures were taken during a walk the day before.

In 1854, a competition was announced for the creation of an equestrian statue of Napoleon I. In 1855, the sculptor Armand Le Véel was selected to create the statue. It was completed in 1857.

I quickly realised that I had probably bitten off a bit more than I could chew. The original plan was to start very early in the morning and to ride from Cherbourg to Poitiers (or even further) in one go, planned as a 24 hrs. ride. The night ride would have started past Le Mans. And it turned out I would have missed some beautiful places over night.

Eventually, I ended up splitting the trip. And to skip to cycle over night. The new plan was to ride to Le Mans and from there to Saint Junien on the day after. But even the new plan was ambitious. Covering 300 km with 3,000 meters of elevation gain to Le Mans – was a bit too ambitious.

The route got steep right as I was on my way to leave the city. The ups and downs began shortly after. It’s not my preferred type of terrain, but it’s something you can do once in a while. Could not imagine to do that for 24 hours although the terrain south of Le Mans was flat. At least the view of the city of Cherbourg in the morning was nice.

The realisation that I needed to change my plans again hit me at latest during a stretch of seemingly endless ups and downs – where finding any kind of flow was simply impossible. The scenery was absolutely stunning, but the riding was too grueling to seriously sustain for 300 km. It takes strength to admit one’s own mistakes and over-ambition, and to change course accordingly. Even when the landscape was beautiful and inviting.

Then there was the forecast of rain. Later I was happy about the decision to change plans again. I wanted to verify the rain forecast frequently and check for a train that I can take if needed. Still, the goal of the day was Le Mans and I had to get there by any means. And a train would be better than spending hours riding up and down all the small hills in the pouring rain; at least half the way from Saint-Lô to Le Mans it would be rainy according to the forecast. With the train doors open during a stop, I could hear the thunderstorm. 😬

Once I have left the city of Cherbourg, it was really a constant up and down on a long way straight ahead. Could be boring at some point, exhausting it was for sure. Despite the resting day. At least the sunrise in the morning was super nice and has helped to keep up the good mood and optimism. But you can already see by the pictures what I mean by up an down.

For now I wanted to make it at least to the city of Saint-Lô. This city gained grim notoriety during the Second World War.

Saint-Lô was a crucial inland road and rail junction in Normandy, targeted by U.S. forces to secure a vital breakout after the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings. The Battle of Saint-Lô has involved brutal hedgerow, fought by the U.S. 29th, 30th, and 35th Infantry Divisions, leading to the city’s capture on July 18–19, 1944. After massive destruction earned it the name “Capital of Ruins”.

This is another one of those strategically located cities that the Allies were eager to capture as soon as possible back then (during the D-Day campaign). I had also noticed this city in various documentaries. At times, the landscapes resembled those seen in documentaries or films about the D-Day. However, the memorials gradually became less frequent.

Despite all the ups and downs the way towards Saint-Lô was nice, in way. When look at the countryside, passing villages and – yet again – the small country roads. Those that led from village to village, occasionally crossed a main road, and were frequently lined with fields of corn and grain or large bushes. Seemed to be a typical picture here and I liked it a lot. In a way it has provided some calm moments when struggling with the ups and downs – of which I got tired by the time.

In many villages, I noticed that the first house was almost always lined with flowers – or, very often – hydrangeas. As if it were a kind of welcome greeting. I found that very charming and interpreted it that way.

As if there was any further challenge needed, my GPS Cycling Computer has lacked some maps. I don’t know how this could happen. The maps have disappeared – or rather, failed to load – so I spent a good amount of 70 km navigating almost blind. The navigation function worked, especially where to change direction and how far away that place will be however the map wasn’t available, so I had to guess a bit what’s around me. Not so comfortable but exceptionally acceptable. Not really a pleasure. But sometimes it all just happens at once. And I still managed to reach Saint-Lô, already 30 km out 70 km without a proper navigation. Surprisingly it went well. And it was a reminiscence to a multiple-day-ride where it even got worse in terms of navigation. But just to make this clear: these are absolute exceptions.

Saint-Lô, from what I could see, has been re-built after the World War II. I just saw a few older houses. But I haven’t seen the entire city. It was here when I adjusted the plans once more. Instead of a potential risk to cover most of the remaining distance in rain, I decided to ride back to Caen to take a train from there to Le Mans.

In hindsight, it probably would have been better, though, to catch a train from Alençon instead of Caen. Alençon is located between Caen and Le Mans. Closer to Le Mans than to Caen. That would have meant to ride the planned route for another 140 km from Saint-Lô and potentially hopping on the train just before the rain hit. But the rain radar was just too unreliable, so the “whining form” was quickly filled out and approved. 😜

And as I said, the scenery here is absolutely beautiful. It bothers me a bit that I didn’t give the planned route a longer try after all. It wasn’t entirely without risk, though. Once again, I spent a lot of time on quiet country roads situated between the major highways. With their grassy verges, these kinds of roads have a unique character that I’ve really grown fond of.

I just rode from village to village and occasionally crossed a main road. And stopping at cemeteries instead of gas stations. 😁

There weren’t much gas stations, neither on the country side nor along the main roads. Most gas stations that I have passed are just pumps without a shop. You simply have to know which ones have a shop – that’s another difference. You have/can get food in the towns. Unless you find that one small shop or bakery in a village. Which may happen occasionally.

The cemeteries are actually worth seeing, too – just like the small villages along the route. 😅

And – finally – I have arrive in Caen with one hour remaining until the train departs. Did not have much sense to stroll around and to explore the city but captured a couple of churches at least. Some rest at the rail station was good.

The train ride itself was another experience. And had I known what would happen, I would have taken the planned route three times over. Until Alençon most likely. Check the map below. Not much different than with the German railway system, a train gets cancelled, and the next one is delayed and packed. Thanks. Okay, not quite fair. A snapshot in time.

Sometimes you just can’t win, no matter what you do. Morale was at a low point for only a short time short before Le Mans. And tomorrow I’m back out on the planned course. Let’s see how much longer I want to keep this up. 🤪

That’s how it could have gone, too. By the time time the train has departed in Caen, I escaped rain clouds moving to Caen. It is pure speculation – and a bit of a gamble – whether I would have stayed dry until at least two or three hours before Le Mans – if riding to Alençon (marked on the map). Might have worked.