User blog comment:IndigoOnIceCream/What if France Said Yes?/@comment-4822327-20120223203438/@comment-32656-20120224050920

No, he stopped there on the way back.

His route to the Indies was Spain, to the Canaries, and then to the Bahamas.

Going from France, he'd have a longer distance to cover, in an area without any islands - and the Portuguese wouldn't let him stop in the Azores. Plus, newfoundland - the only real spot where he'd likely end up, or thereabouts - is a longer distance.

Add to that, that his crew was days away otl from making him go back. With a longer voyage, they would do it.

Not that someone won't discover the Americas, mind. Probably, the Portuguese or English.