47,54 km cycling route from Tallard to Sisteron
Elevation of the stage
Waytypes of the stage
Surface of the stage
The cycle route
Cycling off from Tallard, a new lay-out now enables you to reach the Canal EDF with ease to then ride southwards. The way leads you along country lanes following the bottom of the Durance Valley and the gentle curves of the canal, lined with orchards. The setting is peaceful, but provides scarcely any shade, so make sure you have plenty of water and sun protection. After crossing the Buëch River, you need to ride along the busier D951 road to reach Sisteron.
Take care: there’s only one bridge you can use to ride into town, and it also carries the major N85, a generally very busy road. Take special care too as you approach the citadel. If wishing to make use of Sisteron station, make sure to check on travel possibilities well in advance, be it for regional trains or buses.
Tourist offices
- Bureau d’information touristique de Tallard : 2 place Richard Duchamblo 05130 Tallard - 04 92 54 04 29
- Office de tourisme de Sisteron Buëch : 1 Pl. de la République 04200 Sisteron - 04 92 61 36 50
SNCF train stations and services
Train stations :
- La Brillanne-Oraison
- Sisteron
Train & bus lines :
- Regional TER line 61 (Briançon – Marseille)
- Regional TER bus 67 / 68 (stopping in central Sisteron)
Don't miss
- Château de Tallard: a remarkable medieval fort looking down on the Durance.
- Canal EDF: the peaceful thread for this stage, as you ride next to this canal, between orchards, with the Monges Range as a backdrop.
- Perched villages (Upaix, Ventavon): places typical of France’s Alpine foothills, but with more than a hint of Provence in their architecture and atmosphere.
- Buëch Valley views: best seen from the natural viewing points, or belvédères, at the tops of the ridges.
- Sisteron: the town dominated by a spectacular Vauban-designed citadel; the old town; the museums; the unique local geological heritage (notably, the vertical folds of twisted limestone strata).
Travellers’ reviews