This post recounts the seventh day of my English Channel to the Mediterranean cycle tour in France with Peak Tours in June 2025. Read Day 6: Aubusson to Le Mont-Dore.

This was one of the toughest days of the tour, although worth it for the stunning scenery. We had a mix of several long climbs plus a rollercoaster, undulating ride during the morning. We tackled all this under an unforgiving sun. But, as I’ve said before, better that than torrential rain and no views!

The usual route out of Le Mont-Dore was closed, so we came back the way we entered. (Poor Donal and Monica followed the closed route, so had tackled a big climb before descending to do it all over again in another direction.)

The first few miles were one long, steep climb up the Col de la Croix Morand. This was fine, especially as we were fuelled and fresh.

It was a joy descending the other side, the road twisting and turning, with views of the stark volcanic peaks around us as we rode.

We had a surprise at the morning brew stop at 17 miles in. The last to arrive was Willie, usually one of the fastest riders. He’d missed a critical turn, and had to backtrack.

We had a steep climb straight after the break, which set the tone for the long morning. We climbed over 4,000 feet before lunch, almost the height of Ben Nevis, with little descending to allow the legs a rest. But the views were stunning.

The cows with their bells reminded me of Switzerland. Annoyingly, my Garmin wasn’t very helpful at times, and I stopped regularly to check I was on the right road, as I didn’t want to add more climbing. It was reassuring to see Jacqui to confirm the route. We had an extra water stop, which was much needed in the heat.

Lunch was at the Bar Restaurant De La Poste at Marcenat, and provided a much needed rest. We applauded John as he arrived…

The afternoon session was so much easier, as we had just 1,600 feet of climbing over 30 miles. A lovely long descent was only briefly disrupted by waiting at temporary traffic lights where the road was being resurfaced. It was good to cycle on the ‘correct’ side of the road!

I cycled for a short time with Alison until she outpaced me as I hesitated once again as my Garmin told me to turn off the correct road. (Why do cycle computers get navigation so wrong?) I did however follow the advised route through an underpass at Neussargues-Moissay just before the afternoon brew stop.

We had just one long climb to go, and I was impressed that John was able to hold a phone conversation while ascending. He later admitted he made the mistake of answering it! I enjoyed the downhill after the climb, along a very straight road, as we made good progress towards Saint-Flour. We spent a few minutes admiring the lovely village of Coltines, with its duck house on a tiny island in the village lake.

Soon after, we passed the imposing castle of Château du Sailhant in the village of that name.

As we entered Saint-Flour, we hesitated over the route to the hotel. The Garmin told us to go down a steep hill from the upper town, and I called a pause for reassurance this was right.

Instead, we agreed to negotiate the old town streets using Google Maps, but ended up confused. John and I peeled off, and retraced our route to descend the original hill. We found a sign for the Ancien Grand Seminaire just as we were questioning our decision. We’d reached our home for the night, a former monastery founded in 1651. This was a remarkable place to stay. The rooms were basic, reflecting the history of the building, and my bedroom did resemble a monastic cell.

We’d arranged to have dinner at the monastery, and it proved a wonderful experience, with an excellent three course dinner, which was remarkable value for around €22.

I wish I’d had more time to explore Saint-Flour. I stayed in a gîte in nearby Roffiac for a week with friends in 1993 and we came to Saint-Flour several times. I remember the austere feel of the town with its sombre stone buildings and stark design of the cathedral. Today the town looked more welcoming in the sunshine.

Read Day 8: Saint-Flour to Mende.

The day’s stats

68 miles, 5,696 feet climbing, 5 hrs 45 mins cycling, average speed 11.8 mph.

The day’s highlights video