Roll out of Parthenay and let the ride unfold along the Thouet, with the old castle marking the way early on. Three more castles follow in turn — Saint-Loup sur Thouet, Airvault and Maurivet — each one a landmark to tick off as the kilometres pass. All 77.4 km run on paved surface, with 490 m of climbing spread across the loop. Then it's back to where you started, Parthenay again.
