La Marmotte

Bronzie

Mark Alexander wrote:

Hi, is there an etiquette to fed stations? What precicely do they have food/drink wise?

In the UK, everyone is very civilised and queues politely awaiting their turn.
My only experience in France was more like Ypres or the Somme - bananas flying everywhere.

What they have depends on the organisers and who they get to sponsor the event but generally a mixture of fruit, biscuits, waffles and other energy bars that sort of stuff, plus plain water and Isostar or similar.

Take enough with you that you don't need to stop at the first feed (which is usually rammed), and avoid eating anything you haven't tried on a ride before in case it affects your stomach (unless you are out of food completely in which case anything goes).

Mark Alexander

great thanks. I'm doing the Dragon Ride as a warm-up and I have made a contact on the top of the first hill. The ice cream van man As you say, in the UK we're a nation of patient queuers.
So on the continent it's every man for him/herself?

Bronzie

Mark Alexander wrote:

So on the continent it's every man for him/herself?

Let me put it like this.................last one in gets the mashed bruised banana at the bottom of the heap.................are your elbows out now and ready to poke some little Eye-talian in the ribs................I thought as much. :P

Mark Alexander

after 1hr+ climbing gaging for food and water.. I'd take on the whole Italian rugby team!!
Although they seem to be New Zeland rejects now so maybe not...

I seem to be having difficulty hitting anything over 150 miles a week at the moment and am concerned that this is not enough.

andyp

Mark Alexander wrote:

I seem to be having difficulty hitting anything over 150 miles a week at the moment and am concerned that this is not enough.

It depends on what type of training you are doing, i.e. are you doing power work such as 2x20 sessions or interval training? That's probably more important now than long, steady miles to build endurance.

Mark Alexander

they're generally 60-80 milers with at least two 5 mile hills up to 5 of them. also commuting.

mozwyn69

The feeds at last years event were very civilized. There were plenty of water stops and the feed stations had brie, tomatoes and baguettes which were most welcome and a change from cakes and dried fruit.
It was far better organised than the previous years Etape where some of the feed stations resemebled third world food drops.

richa

Can anyone tell me how many feed/water stops there are?

From what I have read the first comes after the Telegraph at 90-odd km.

That's 5hrs+ for me...

mozwyn69

one on top of Glandon, on the Teligraph, bottom of the Galibier, half way up the Galibier (water), in Bourge and water on the Alpe

Titanium

Don't forget that you can take a €10 note and buy water if you need to. Better, many villages on the way have fountains you can drink from, look for the "eau potable" sign.

The feedzones can be a crush as people are in a hurry. A tip: put your bike down on the pavement and walk to the tables. You can pick a route to the food and water faster than someone trying to squeeze their bike in and then reverse against a tide of incoming riders.

Ken Night

mozwyn69 wrote:

one on top of Glandon, on the Teligraph, bottom of the Galibier, half way up the Galibier (water), in Bourge and water on the Alpe

?
IIRC correctly last year (and it all was a bit of a red mist)

Glandon, water only
Telegraph, water only
Valloire-the works
Galibier top, water, gels, fruit
Bourg, the works
the Alpe-several water stations

Many Dutch and Belgian clubs had musettes laid out at the bottom of the Telegraph-impressive

there is an easily accessible fountain, about 100m after you turn up the Telegraph

Cafe's in Maurienne, Valloire, La Grave-all by the roadside

Mark Alexander

This maybe a silly question but just a thought, is it a good idea to run a slightly lower tyre pressure about 100psi for Sportifs or could that be a problem for descending/punctures?

jonginge

Mark Alexander wrote:

This maybe a silly question but just a thought, is it a good idea to run a slightly lower tyre pressure about 100psi for Sportifs or could that be a problem for descending/punctures?

I remember reading an article by Greg Lemond a few months back saying he reduced tyre pressures for mountainous sportives in the summer (the etape IIRC). He said he saw a few with blown tyres on the descents due to the heat (tarmac and braking)

Mark Alexander

I suppose that it's best to just go with the recomended pressures.

I have been trying for ages to find an official website for Marmotte. I have cycling tours, and many personal accounts, youtube and clubmates but can't believe that there isn't an official one
Am I just being blonde?

Bronzie

Mark Alexander wrote:

I have been trying for ages to find an official website for Marmotte.

http://www.sportcommunication.com/GT/ep ... rophee=128

You daft blonde!

Mark Alexander

Well everyone, the time has almost arrived.
Is everybody ready? :?

I've had a crash course on packing my bike from a friend so fingers crossed....

clanton

Ready as I'm gonna be! Very nervous though I know I'm way fitter than I was before last year's Etape. And it can't be any worse than that surely?!

guv001

clanton wrote:

I know I'm way fitter than I was before last year's Etape. And it can't be any worse than that surely?!

Ahh - that will probably be one of those quotes you come to regret....

dennisn

Visited the web site. Looks like a tough one. Never done it but have done a fair amount of
climbing in the Colorado Rockies. I have found that I tend to have breathing problems as
I go up in altitude(who doesn't). It seems that I want to start gasping and have to think about and concentrate on keeping a somewhat normal breathing pattern. So try to keep your breathing under control and you'll feel better. Don't know about the weather over
there atop those high passes but experience in the rockies has taught me that it can be
90 degrees down low and cold rain or worse up high. So maybe a light shell and leg warmers are in order to carry along but like I say don't know about over there. Good luck.

Dennis Noward

andyp

clanton wrote:

Ready as I'm gonna be! Very nervous though I know I'm way fitter than I was before last year's Etape. And it can't be any worse than that surely?!

I didn't do the Etape last year but it looked tough to me. The hardest aspect of the Marmotte for me was the Telegraphe/Galibier double. Essentially you'll climb 2000 metres in one go in a little over 30 kms and the last 8 km of the Galibier is the toughest part of it. The Alpe at the end is tough but is only 13 kms and on a nice smooth road.

clanton

Altitude will be a factor I think - Port de Bales was "only" 1900m IIRC compared to the Galibier at 2500m. Elevation wise the Etape last year I think was 4500m over 199km. So the climbs must be steeper on the MArmotte.......
Right now I am scared. Had a call at lunch time from my mate who's joining us, he's been reading various reports on the net and is bricking himself too!

easton

Clanton: I have done the Marmotte a few times and did the etape last year, I can tell you that if you got around the etape last year you should have no problems with the Marmotte so don't be worrying. Just remember to keep eating and drinking. Enjoy.

clanton

Thanks - I really am looking forward to it and I think its going to be great. Wish it was tomorrow though!

Mark Alexander

Does anyone have any idea how to work out the Gold, Silver and bronze times? I am losing my mind trying to navigate and understand them. I found it a while back by accident but am at a loss

bahzob

Just to check. I heard earlier that this year route was going via Croix de Fer this year but route on site seems to be the one via Glandon?

bahzob

dennisn wrote:

Visited the web site. Looks like a tough one. Never done it but have done a fair amount of
climbing in the Colorado Rockies. I have found that I tend to have breathing problems as
I go up in altitude(who doesn't). It seems that I want to start gasping and have to think about and concentrate on keeping a somewhat normal breathing pattern. So try to keep your breathing under control and you'll feel better. Don't know about the weather over
there atop those high passes but experience in the rockies has taught me that it can be
90 degrees down low and cold rain or worse up high. So maybe a light shell and leg warmers are in order to carry along but like I say don't know about over there. Good luck.

Dennis Noward

I would judge on the day and ask locals. While it makes sense to be prepared given the amount of climbing you also dont want to be carrying anything you dont really need. For sure unless weather very bad you wont need leg warmers.

andyp

bahzob wrote:

I would judge on the day and ask locals. While it makes sense to be prepared given the amount of climbing you also dont want to be carrying anything you dont really need. For sure unless weather very bad you wont need leg warmers.

I'd offer a word of warning here. I started the 2002 Marmotte in pouring rain after descending down from the Alpe and then standing around in the rain for an hour. I tried to travel light as I didn't want to have to carry kit later on should it warm up. By the summit of the Croix de Fer I was chilled to the bone and had to take the tough decision to turn back. The descent back down was probably the worst experience I've ever had and I was still physically shaking from the cold 30 mins later. I later found out that it was 1 degree centigrade at the summit of the Croix de Fer and below freezing at the summit of the Galibier.

When I went back 2 years ago I took some old winter cycling kit so if the weather was bad I could wear that and then, should it warm up, I could simply discard it.

Don't try and be a hero.

Mark Alexander

How does everyone carry all this stuff? I'm planning to wear a base layer, jersey and arm warmers. leg/knee warmers with Gillet. gloves
earlier in the topic someone mentioned a newspaper down the front and bin bags.
I'm basing this on the old addage of layering keeps you warmer than a big coat.

Anyone seen this?
http://www.gastrobiking.com/hell/marmotte.html
:shock:

how about this for Marrie Curie... Please
www.justgiving.com/markalexander4

dennisn

Mark Alexander wrote:

How does everyone carry all this stuff?

Rear pockets. Or you can do like myself and pull the water bladder out of a small Camelback. I have done this every time I've done the 7 day Colorado Bike Tour. Anyone
who tells you that you don't need to carry a few essentails*(light shell, leg warmers, etc.)
has never been caught in really bad weather up high. Like I said I carried that pack
daily and it's not that big of a deal. Trust me you're not going to weigh yourself down
with a set of leg warmers or light shell.

Dennis Noward

bahzob

andyp wrote:

bahzob wrote:

I would judge on the day and ask locals. While it makes sense to be prepared given the amount of climbing you also dont want to be carrying anything you dont really need. For sure unless weather very bad you wont need leg warmers.

I'd offer a word of warning here. I started the 2002 Marmotte in pouring rain after descending down from the Alpe and then standing around in the rain for an hour. I tried to travel light as I didn't want to have to carry kit later on should it warm up. By the summit of the Croix de Fer I was chilled to the bone and had to take the tough decision to turn back. The descent back down was probably the worst experience I've ever had and I was still physically shaking from the cold 30 mins later. I later found out that it was 1 degree centigrade at the summit of the Croix de Fer and below freezing at the summit of the Galibier.

When I went back 2 years ago I took some old winter cycling kit so if the weather was bad I could wear that and then, should it warm up, I could simply discard it.

Don't try and be a hero.

As I said judge on the day. If its pouring with rain at the start makes sense to assume its only going to get wetter and colder as you ascend.