Even today there was rain. It was also quite cold, probably around 16 C. I waited until 8:15 to leave, at the beginning it was only drizzling but then it got worse. After cycling through the centre of Calais I followed several canals.
At 40 km the road climbs to the Moulin of Watten, fantastic views. There I met a couple from the Netherlands, they were in their 70s. They took a train to Boulogne-sur-mer a few days ago and they were cycling back to the Netherlands (no visa required)
Another climb after 60 km: Cassel. Here the climb is complicated by the pave’. It started raining hard, and the descent was quite tricky.
I had lunch in Bailleul, a very French town.
After cycling through Armentieres (recommended) I reached Lille and finally the rain stopped. I cycled past the stadium.
I crossed the border with Belgium and I reached Tournai at around 4:30PM.
136 km in 6h15, without pushing too hard. This is the trace: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1238196170