This will come up many times in the days/stages to come, but in order to get around the world going east, it’s important, as in very important, to be heading east as often as possible. Anything else is either strategic or for a good reason. Stage 5 from Tergnier to Estrees heads north, which is why I mention it. You’ll become well accustomed to detours and what seems at the time like extra work, but just have faith in the fact that it all came good for Mark Beaumont in 2017, so it’ll all come good for Around The World by the time the journey gets back to Paris.
The rollout crosses the Canal de Saint Quentin almost immediately on a flat road before curving left past Remigny, Gibercourt and Montescourt Lizerolles ahead of a right hander into Essigny le Grand at six miles. The first four miles of that run are relatively flat with just the merest hint of a climb to the four mile mark, then the D1 autoroute descends and is still descending as it passes by Essigny le Grand.
North of the town, the road climbs gently but briefly, before the descent gathers pace and slope, crossing the A26 autoroute at eight miles before curving right ahead of a sharp left hander onto the E44 highway into Saint Quentin where the road crosses the Canal de Saint Quentin a second time.
Beyond the canal, the route hangs a right off the E44 onto the Boulevard Emile et Raymond Pierret before descending sharply then left onto the D1044 on the way out of town at twelve miles. If you like a cheap shop, there’s an Aldi at the junction. As the route rounds the corner, it’s already descending, and it keeps doing so to the junction to Fayet on the left (west) at fourteen miles. That junction is the lowest elevation on the stage. The road climbs steeply thereafter before the climb tops out the the junction with the D93 on the right: it heads north east to Lehaucourt.
The road crosses the Canal de Saint Quentin a third time at sixteen miles before running alongside it, the canal on the left, past Bellenglise at seventeen miles and on to the junction with the D932 a mile later. There, the route hangs a right onto the D932 then runs straight on a lumpy bit of road, past Nauroy and on to the finish approaching Estrees.
Distance: 21 miles / 34 kilometres
Ascent: 285 feet / 87 metres
RGT Magic Road: pAaQntVVsQGc
Max elevation: 912 ft
Min elevation: 696 ft
Total climbing: 285 ft
Total descent: -395 ft
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