This post recounts the fourth day of my English Channel to the Mediterranean cycle tour in France with Peak Tours in June 2025. Read Day 3: La Flèche to Loches.

After our ride briefing in front of the impressive Best Western hotel in Loches, we were soon negotiating the handsome streets of this historic town. I wish I’d had the time to explore last night – that’s one of the downsides of such an intense tour.

This was the easiest day of the tour: 51 miles, and more significantly just 1,762 feet of climbing, most of which would feature before lunch.

It was a pleasure to call out, ‘Bonjour!’ to dog walkers and others we passed, in my ‘finest’ French accent. We also saw many tractors, a reminder that France is still a hugely agricultural country, unlike Britain. (No wonder those farmers still hold the power to break presidents and prime ministers.)

Our morning stop was at a pretty location next to an old bridge, which we’d cross immediately after the break. Our route instructions asked us not to lean our bikes on the flowers – mine was resting on a sign, not the blooms surrounding it! We went without a hot drink as the hotel in Loches had filled the flasks with cold, not hot, water… But soft drinks proved just what we needed on another hot day.

The next stage was unexpectedly difficult. I was feeling sluggish, and stopped to rest at a lovely village, Sainte-Gemme. Looking back, this we were climbing almost all the way to lunch, but almost imperceptibly, which probably explains it – along with the heat. (We were so lucky with the weather on this tour, with just 10 minutes of rain in 14 days’ cycling, but temperatures well over 30C had their impact.)

Lunch was a wonderful picnic at Méobecq, with delicious sandwiches, salads and deserts. The Peak Tours guides had brought out folding chairs, with holders in the arms for the drinks. It was a delightful interlude in the sunshine. We bought coffees from a classic French bar opposite.

After this idyllic sojourn, we had just 14 miles to our destination, Argenton-sur-Creuse. In the heat of the afternoon, the long, straight uphill road was something of a drag, but I was soon in the fine riverside village of Saint-Gaultier. Here I spotted Wendy and Jim standing on the bridge over the Creuse taking a selfie with the river and spires of Saint-Gaultier as a backdrop. We cycled the final few miles together.

Argenton was a fine place to while away a few hours. We stopped on the old bridge to admire the view of the ancient mullti-coloured houses lining the banks. We saw Pat swimming in the river – a good way to cool off on a scorching afternoon! As I went exploring, I bumped into Huw, Peter and Mark, and like true Brits we enjoyed a cup of tea at a cafe.

A few of us enjoyed a convivial dinner at the Café de la Place in the heart of the town. The sun was still very intense and Peter was concerned that the back of his neck would burn. I helpfully suggested that he placed a napkin around his neck. He adopted the idea, brushing aside suggestions that he add a handkerchief with the corners knotted in true 1950s seaside fashion.

We were staying at the attractive old Hôtel Manoir de Boisvillers. I was concerned that the lack of air conditioning would make for a very uncomfortable stay, but the old builders of Argenton knew how to keep a house cool in the summer, with their thick stone walls. It was a pleasure to open the shutters for a glimpse of the river.

Read Day 5: Argenton-sur-Creuse to Aubusson

The day’s stats

51.64 miles, 1,764 feet climbing, 3 hrs 36 mins cycling, average speed 14.3 mph.

The day’s highlights video