marmotte feed stations

fidgetyphil

Can anybody who's done the marmotte tell me what the feed stations are like?
Did the ventoux etape and the feed stations were worse than useless.
Huge log jams to get a piece of ham slapped between two dried up bits of old bread, and half a rotten banana.

I'm trying to work out what I need to carry and whether I can get somebody in a car to meet me at places with a couple of pork pies and decent burgundy before I tackle the gallibier.
All help gratefully appreciated

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ricadus

Carry enough food to get you to the halfway point at Valloire (between cols Telegraphe and Galibier); the one at the top of the Croix de Fer seems a crazy place to stop: being the first one it will be crowded; you lose time to people behind you on the first climb (some of whom you will have worked hard to pass); and by stopping at the top of a col you will cool down immediately before a long early morning descent, especially if the weather is crap.

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Unknown

The feed stations have the usual fare; bananas, cake, some dried fruit, biscuits.

I'd second ricadus' recommendation, avoid the first feed station at the top of the Croix de Fer as it is a scrum. There is a drinks stop at the top of the Telegraphe, then a proper feed station just after Valloire so I filled up my bottles at those last year. If memory serves there is another feed station at the top of the Galibier and one at the foot of the Alpe.

craigenty

Agree with all of the above. Grand Trophee feed stations are crap. And lets hope that the marshalling is better than during La Ventoux at the weekend.[B)]

Craig

www.montventouxwebcam.com
www.veloventoux.com

Unknown

Note that according to the organisations route this year, the course does not go over the Col de la Croix de Fer but from the Glandon down to Ste Marie de Cuines. I'm planning on carrying enough to get to the Valloire feed which is just out of the town & stopping there. Then final refill at the bottom of AdH. There is a new road layout at the bottom of the Alpe which links the new Bourg' bypass so be aware of that.

Ed
www.bikeandski-vercors.com

fidgetyphil

Thanks for that.
Just out of interets, what do you call enough?
And do you lads carry extra energy drink for your water bottles?
Never sure whether its worth lumping the extra weght about or not.

Unknown

It depends on how much you normally eat on a long hard ride?

Last year I think I had 4 or 5 energy bars (the Eat Natural ones as I can't eat anything with gluten in it) plus some dried apricots plus 3 or 4 gels. I ate the bars on the flat and the descents and the gels about halfway up the climbs.

I had energy drink in my bottles to start with but then just drank whatever was available at the feed stations. Which was, if memory serves, mainly water.

I'd recommend that you test out feeding strategies on some of your training rides - you don't want to be trying anything new on the day in case it doesn't agree with you.

craigenty

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by fidgetyphil</i>

Thanks for that.
Just out of interets, what do you call enough?
And do you lads carry extra energy drink for your water bottles?
Never sure whether its worth lumping the extra weght about or not.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Depends on how hot it is really. In 2005 two bidons got me to the Galibier. Last year I was empty by the Telegraphe but they were handing out plastic bottles about half way up.
Take a small portion of powder in a plastic bag to mix at the water stop.

Same as Andyp regarding the number of energy bars and gels.
Good places to eat are the flat between St jean and St Michel and the drop down into Valloire. Then of course you can eat on the way down to La Grave so you're ready for the Alpe!

I always try to be self sufficient. Having said that, in last years Etape I stopped in Briancon for a ham sandwich and it tasted delicious!

Craig

www.montventouxwebcam.com
www.veloventoux.com

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angrynortherner

Can recommend the bakery in Valloire on the right hand side of the road before the Hotel de la Poste. It's run by an American lady and all the food there is excellent. Might help if the other options are relly grim..

Ken Night

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ed in Vercors</i>

Note .... this year, the course does not go over the Col de la Croix de Fer but from the Glandon down to Ste Marie de Cuines. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Sorry to hijack the thread

This is one of the more technical descents you'll ever do-you definitely don't want anyone else around you at some points-the road is very narrow-and last year was covered in gravillons on some of the bends

<font size="1">"I once prayed to God for a bike, but quickly found out he didnt work that way...so I stole a bike and prayed for his forgiveness"
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Desert Orchid

Thought this descent was fantastic ! followed a motorbike marshal down the first part and then got on the end of a line of 8 riders for the fast lower part.
mind you , the look on the guys face at the early hairpin when I asked him if he started a thread on here about wearing the Saltaire jersey was priceless [:D] [:D]

climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber.

method

Get some Nuun tablets to add to the water on the feed stations, its great stuff.

dsoutar

There's also a sort of cafe (looks more like a shepherds hut) a few km before Plan Lachat on the Galibier where I had a choccy bar and a coke and topped up my water bottles