Between Dammarie-lès-Lys and Orléans, Île-de-France slowly turns into Loire country. The route first cuts through the green Gâtinais, passing forest edges, sandstone, quiet villages and the handsome centre of Milly-la-Forêt with its old market hall. Then the landscape opens wide: long roads, fields, wind and big skies set the tone across the Loiret. Near Orléans, the ride becomes urban again. The Loire, its bridges and the towers of Sainte-Croix Cathedral give this long stage a proper finish.
