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The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 19, the penultimate day is a team time trial on Saturday 26 July 2008 and starts from Cerilly (03 Allier, Auvergne) and runs for 53 km to finish in St Amand Montrond (18 Cher, Centre)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com

Most French autoroutes between major towns and cities are toll motorways, which whilst often offering fast and uncrowded dual-carriageways, can nevertheless add significantly to the cost of a trip through France - e.g over €90 (over £60) on a one-way trip from Calais to Nice (1226km of motorway driving about 760 miles).

However there are significant sections of autoroute which are toll free - most often these are around major towns and Cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon etc).

In the North, the A16 is toll-free from Boulogne (J29) to the Belgian border (J36) via Calais and Dunkerque. The A25 from Dunkerque (J20) to Lille is free, so you can reach Lille from the main Channel ports without paying a toll!. Also all routes from Lille to the Belgian border.
The following autoroutes are toll free (as at September 2007)
A16 (part of the Autoroute des Estuaires (estuaries)) from Boulogne-sur-Mer (J29) to the Belgian border(J36)
A20 (L’Occitane) from Vierzon (J6 junction with A71) to Brive-la-Gaillarde (J53) via Chateauroux, Argenton and Limoges
A25 from Dunkerque (J20 with A16) to Lille
A28 from Abbeville (J1) to Rouen (J14)
A30/A31 (Autoroute de la Vallée de la Fensch) from Thionville (J1) to Toul (J12) via Metz and Nancy
A38 from Dijon (J33) to Pouilly-sur-Auxois (J24 and the junction with the A6)
A63 (Autoroute de la Cote Basque) from Bordeaux to Bellin-Bellet (J20)
A64 (la Pyreneenne) from St Martory (J20) to Muret (J25)
A68 (la Tarnaise) from Monastruc (J3 NE of Toulouse) to Albi (J11) via Gaillac
A75 (la Meridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand (J15) to Pezenas (J59) (except for the Millau Bridge) via Issoire
A77 (Autoroute de l’Arbre (trees)) from Pouilly (J26) to Nevers (J37)
A84 from Caen (J46) to Rennes (J25) via Avranches

Sancerre (18 Cher, Centre) is world-renown vineyard (and pretty town) in the mid-Loire Valley, The town is situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire river and providing a superb view of the vineyards which enjoy the natural slopes on limestone and marl.
It is recognised for its Sauvignon Blanc wines - dry and minerally - although in the past it had been better known for its red Pinot Noir, which is still produced albeit in smaller quantities.

Chateaumeillant (18 Cher, Centre) celebrates with its wine fair Saturday 15 - Monday 17 April 2006. Close to what is claimed to be the geograpic centre of France, and about 35 miles south of Bourges , this is a little-known and seldom seen wine in the UK. Unlike its nearest neighbours in Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly which major on great Sauvignon blancs, the wines of Chateaumeillant are red and rose, made from Gamay (the Beaujolais grape), Pinot Noir (the Burgundy grape) and Pinot Gris. As such they are dry, light and refreshing.

The appellation is currently a VDQS (Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure) which is an classification above Vin de Pays, but below Appellation Controllee (AOC). As such it has to come from a defined local area around Chateaumeillant, and there are limits on the grapes used and their proportions, yield etc. Usually VDQS wines are ultimately upgraded to full AOC status, usually with somewhat tougher constraints on yield and production. Certainly Chateaumeillant is distinctively different from other local wines, but I cannot comment on the quality of the wine having never tasted any, nor can I find any UK stockist. Even Yapp Bros, who are Loire specialists do not stock it, which is ominous. So perhaps someone will fancy a quick jaunt out to taste and report back!?

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Keywords: France, wine, Loire, Centre, Berry,Cher,Chateaumeillant

A new wine route has been established in the middle Loire Valley (Route des Vignobles du Coeur de France), prompted by the opening of the new A77 autoroute to Moulins (running alongside the old N7) which makes Paris less than 2 hours from Sancerre (18 Cher, Centre).
The route actually starts at Gien on the Loire and passes through the Coteaux du Giennois (Gamay and Pinot reds, Sauvignon and Chenin whites); Pouilly-sur-Loire AC (whites unusually made from the Chasselas grape, more frequently used as a table grape); Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly - all making superb minerally Sauvignon Blanc and some light Pinot Noirs.The route ends near Vierzon and Bourges convenient for the A71 autoroute back to Paris.
There is also another branch of the route near Chateaumeillant, a little-known appellation a little further south, where the main grape is Gamay, balanceded by a little Pinot Noir. This area also produces a very light rose wine, or vins gris (what Americans might call a “blush”) which is light, dry, fresh and fruity.

The wine routes are usually well-signposted to pass all the main domaines, and this would be quite a delightful trip even if you were not interested in wine - Gien has a magnificent chateau by the Loire, Sancerre is a hill-top town surrounded by a dramatic landscape of vineyards, and Bourges is well worth visiting for its Gothic cathedral and medieval centre.

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Keywords:Loire,Centre,Cher,Pouilly,Gien,Giennois,Chateaumeillant,Sancerre,Quincy,Reuilly,Menetou,Salon,Bourges,Vierzon,a77.a71