Villefranche-sur-Saône to Chanas down the Rhône
- 106 km
- 62 m
- Moderate
- Paved
Elevation profile
Route overview
Suits riders wanting distance without climbing: 106 km with only 62 m of gain, and no graded climbs at all.
A flat 106 km point-to-point down the Saône and then the Rhône, from Villefranche-sur-Saône through Lyon and Vienne to Chanas.
From Villefranche-sur-Saône the route picks up the left bank of the Saône past Riottier and Bordelan, with a viewpoint at 3.8 km, then runs through Saint-Bernard, Anse and Ambérieux d'Azergues to Quincieux at 12.2 km. The chain of riverside villages continues – Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d'Or, Neuville-sur-Saône, Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or and Fontaines-sur-Saône – before Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or and Caluire-et-Cuire, where the Île Barbe belvedere sits at 29.8 km. Lyon comes at around 35 km, the route threading Vaise, Vieux Lyon, Bellecour and Confluence to the meeting of the two rivers, then continuing south through La Mulatière, Pierre-Bénite, Irigny and Vernaison. The high point of the whole ride, 178 m, falls at 48.7 km near Charly – an indication of how little vertical there is in 106 km, with just 62 m of gain in total and 54% of it in the first half. Beyond Grigny-sur-Rhône and Loire-sur-Rhône the road reaches Vienne and Sainte-Colombe at about 68 km, then follows the Rhône past Ampuis, Tupin-et-Semons, Condrieu and Chavanay. The lowest point, 136 m, comes at 95.2 km before Sablons and Peyraud, and the ride ends at Chanas.
Highlights
- Central Lyon at around 35 km, between the two rivers
- Île Barbe belvedere viewpoint at 29.8 km
- Vienne and Sainte-Colombe on the Rhône at 68 km
- Ampuis and Condrieu on the final stretch
Along the route
Places passed
On the road
Practical information
- Paved
- Point to point
- 5–7 hours riding
- September has been recorded here at 25°C, warm but workable on a flat route.
Know before you go
- No cafés, restaurants or water points listed after 32.8 km – carry supplies for the last 73 km
- Recorded at 25°C in September; little shade or shelter noted on the open river roads