Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) took a solo win on stage 2 of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour with an urgent attack across the final kilometre which could not be matched.

The French city of Nantes is to hold a referendum on exiting the Pays-de-la-Loire region and becoming part of Brittany instead.

I am planning a 10-day driving tour of the Loire region for the end of May this year. There is much in the guide books about the various chateaux I could visit.