Why you should gravel in Angers during Nature is Bike

Welcome to Angers, which was named the greenest city in France in 2020. In June, it will be the backdrop for the Nature is Bike Festival. An annual gravel and adventure festival about 300 kilometers southwest of Paris. In the rolling and green Pays de la Loire It is a vibrant mix of gravel, gastronomy and challenging races and tour routes. On behalf of Cycling Destination, explorer Stijn Kanters travelled and he took the Thalys towards the beautiful city of Angers to gravel bike riding during Nature is Bike.

Text and photos: Stijn Kanters

Read also:

• Basic packing list for your holiday: https://cyclingdestination.cc/tips/basispaklijst-voor-jouw-fietsvakantie
• Tips for your first gravel adventure: https://cyclingdestination.cc/tips/tips-voor-jouw-eerste-keer-gravelen

The beating heart

At the heart of the Nature is Bike Festival lies “the village”, or the village square. Here bureaus from the region, bike brands, retailers, brands and eateries and drink establishments gather in a bustling mix. And the village serves as the start and finish point for the various tours and races. The event has mapped out several routes, so Nature is Bike is a great way to discover all the possibilities for gravel in Angers.

Gold Beach – Gravel Legend

The most challenging hike is the Gravel or Legend. A gravel hike from the legendary beaches of Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy to Angers, the gravel capital of France. A 320km, 2500hm self-supported ultra gravel hike to be completed within 21 hours. What a ride that is. 320 kilometers is no joke. The hike starts at Gold beach, the landing site of the Canadian troops during D-Day on June 5, 1945. The so-called ‘H-hour’ took place now 78 years and 11 days later. At 0600 the starting signal is given for the 500 participants, who will arrive at the festival village next to la Lac de Maine at the end of Saturday morning. 

Back to the beginning

While the participants of the Graval or Legend are embarking on a tough journey, our journey begins on Friday afternoon in a very calm and easy manner. At a speed of 300 km/h, we are cruising along at a leisurely pace. Thalys (from next year the Eurostar) from Amsterdam to Paris, where we will change trains for the TGV to Angers. A comfortable and relaxing journey. After a warm welcome from Olivier, the local ‘chef de partie’, we settle down in our comfortable accommodation, right in the center of Angers. It is a pleasant place to stay, because there is plenty of liveliness and conviviality.

Freedom

Gravel stands for the pure freedom to ride wherever you want, whenever you want. It stems from a sincere desire to reconnect with nature. Gravel in Angers is a love for adventure and the outdoors. That’s why the atmosphere in the village is so friendly. The people are friendly, helpful, and kind. If you miss a set of pedals, people immediately jump into action to help you. That creates a welcoming feeling and immediately creates a bond. Who thinks that the Nature is Bike festival only offers an extreme gravel tour is wrong. The lineup is just as diverse as the exhibitors at the festival. 

Gastronomy

We choose the gastronomic gravel tour on Saturday afternoon and the 200km Panaracer on Sunday. On Saturday it is a 40km route with a mix of leisurely stops where you can get local produce and drinks. And on Sunday a semi-self-supported gravel event of 200 km with timed sections for a classification, connected by non-timed sections. Both gravel events take place in the wooded landscape of the Loire to the rolling La Possonnière. 

There is more

Haven't seen enough gravel yet? The participants' agenda also includes the 50 and 100 km long gravel race variant on Sunday. In addition, there are also the 19, 26 or 33 km discovery routes through the heart of the Loire Valley. Special attention is given to the bikepack variant of the gravel or legends, where participants start simultaneously from Gold Beach with the participants of the gravel or legends. But the distance in two days is completed within 38 hours. 

On reconnaissance

After receiving our bikes and registering for both events, we wander through the village. A nice mix of big brands like DT Swiss, BMC, and Cannondale, local entrepreneurs, and representatives of the many (cycling) regions of France make it a lively whole. Where everyone could find something to their liking. The emphasis is often on sustainable initiatives and the free and adventurous travel that fits the gravel-like mentality of outdoor living and adventurous cycling. 

Route around Angers

Our Saturday afternoon is filled with a 40km gravel route around Angers. A fast and varied tour with the diverse landscape of the Pays de la Loire as the backdrop. Where we are treated to local French beers, live music and spreads followed by fresh wine, more live music and delicious fresh French bread. A short but diverse route where the relaxed atmosphere, helped by the IPAs and generously poured wines, leaves us feeling refreshed after three hours of cycling and laughing once again in the village. Where all the participants eagerly prepare for dinner. 

Very early

With the pasta and wine of the gastronomic tour and the subsequent BBQ, the start of the 200km was just a little earlier than I would have liked. However, the early wake-up is rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and a special start with the 300 participants. The first 45km lead us through a technical course through the forest, and rolling gravel paths alongside vineyards. After that, we follow the Loire and continue into the valley. 

Back in time

The changing landscapes and views are slowly overshadowed by an ominous atmosphere. A dense heat that the previous day had already dispersed a few drops over the band and the IPA-pouring farmers now truly threatens to burst loose. After 75km we arrive at the first aid post at the imposing Chateau de Brissac. There we learn that we have been driven in ten minutes outside the final time slot. And as a precaution for a finish time within the race limit, we are taken out of the race. 

The volunteers seem to have more trouble with it than we do ourselves; after all, we are there to enjoy the hike, and they greeted us with cake and coffee. After some deliberation and a look at the weather radar, we decided to join the 100km version of the hike. And we ride the last 25km with a pleasant mix of participants from the 100km hike. Through the banks of the Loire and through dense forests we cycle back to Angers. To finish in the village next to the Lake of Maine. 

Smart move

Shortly after arriving, that seems to have been a wise decision. The looming cloud soon turned into a real storm, which wouldn’t stop until 20:00 in the evening. After the storm passed, we settled down in the centrally located square, Place du Ralliement, for a final dinner with the friends we had made along the way. They had endured the hero’s journey through the rain like no one else. The meeting and the convivial dinner were exemplary for the festival. A place where you find people with common interests and an energized spirit, who are particularly good at enjoying 200km of gravel riding. Good people.  

Gravels in Angers: Routes Nature is Bike

If you’re going cycling in Angers and especially if you’re going gravel biking in the region, Nature is Bike is a fantastic option. Here are the two routes we rode. But on the event’s website you’ll find all the info and all the other route options you could possibly imagine.