Tuesday 15/9:
Rouvrou – Ouistreham (72km)
The final stage in France heads, predominently downhill, back to Ouistreham, but first of all it offers up some amazing sights and some challenging terrain. The first 20km include the toughest 8km of the ride, on undulating roads between Pont d’Ouilly and Clécy with three inclines of 9%, totalling over 1km, as the route follows and criss-crosses the Orne river. From there, the route follows the disused railway towards Caen, including a number of viaducts, as it continues to follow and cross the Orne, but with more gentle gradients.
Once the centre of Caen is reached, the route returns to the Ferry Port along the canal, retracing the fourth section of the ‘Prologue’ and, hopefully, a chance for a good meal before boarding the overnight ferry back to Portsmouth.
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