Le Grand Tour Advent Calendar: Day 9 – Brittany, France

By Andrew on December 9, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

It was almost inevitable that I would encounter more disused railway lines in Brittany and that was the case as I cycled towards Yffiniac. Although the Vélomaritime vaguely followed the route of the old railway from Matignon to Yffiniac – it was only in operation for a short period between 1924 and 1948 – visual evidence of it doing so was thin on the ground. Perhaps a piece of civil engineering that had been abandoned before it could celebrate its 25th birthday was easy to erase. Or rather most of it. As it passed along the coast, long passerelles were required to lift the line above the soggy landscape and two of these structures were still in use ensuring that I too was able to keep my feet dry. They were not inconsequential structures. The Passerelle de la Côtière extended over 150 metres. It was built from reinforced concrete, manufactured offsite and “assembled in the manner of Meccano”. Yet as with most baguette-straight constructions of this type, travelling over them is rarely the best place to appreciate their architectural glory. Not so, the Viaduc des Pont-Neufs further along the line near Coëtmieux. Here, the engineers had foreseen my inquisitive arrival a century in advance and had kindly built their stunningly elegant bridge along a curve 30 metres above the ground allowing me to pause and admire it even from the cycle track. After a long day in the saddle, it was much appreciated, even if it too resembled something that might have been inspired by a box of Meccano.

Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda recounts Andrew P. Sykes’ journey around France, into the Alps and down the Rhine in the summer of 2022. It is available as a paperback and as and eBook from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com (and other international Amazon sites). The paperback is also available from Waterstones or Foyles and the eBook from Apple iBooks. If you would like to gift a signed copy of the book, please complete the form below:

Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda (signed copy)

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