Leaving Poitiers, the route quickly drops the noise of town and settles into the quiet rhythm of Poitou. Small roads pass fields, pale villages and gentle rolling ground; little feels dramatic, but that is exactly the charm. Chef-Boutonne adds a clear landmark with Château de Javarzay before the landscape opens and warms towards the south. The final kilometres enter Cognac country: vines, low stone walls, light-coloured houses and, at the end, the Charente giving the stage a calm riverside finish.
