La Marmotte

Mark Alexander

dennisn wrote:

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

great idea, I'll try that out before I go. I have 2L camelback
my club jersey has large pockets too I have a small top-tube mounted topeak bag

Mark Alexander

Well, everyone, after all the advice and the 1000's of miles in the saddle, it's here. nothing more can be done. Thanks for all your advice.

HomerJ

Hello

I am planning on doing the La Marmotte for the first time next year. I did the etape du tour for the first time this year, and as I am in the UK I understand now that there isn’t much you can do to replicate the climbs in France over here.

However having done a few climbs in the Pyrenees I understand the importance of getting the long miles in if you just want to finish the La Marmotte, thats what helped me on the etape.

I think for this one that cycling endurance and much more importantly mental toughness would be vital for anyone not familiar with the climbs on the La Marmotte, there is not a lot you can do about getting mental toughness other than knowing that you have done the miles and training, if you have then I reckon you wont crack up on the day

Bronzie

HomerJ wrote:

I think for this one that cycling endurance and much more importantly mental toughness would be vital for anyone not familiar with the climbs on the La Marmotte, there is not a lot you can do about getting mental toughness other than knowing that you have done the miles and training, if you have then I reckon you wont crack up on the day

This is a good point - having to basically ride right past our hotel in Bourg to start the final climb of the Alpe took some doing - it would have been easy to pack. The only thought that kept me going at times was that "I haven't done all this bloody training to DNF on this ride".

It's a similar mental willpower you need to riding a turbo training - it's so easy to climb off when it really starts to hurt.

richa

I know the Marmotte was a while ago but I have only just finished writing up my blog! I enjoyed this thread in the build up to the big day and thought I would post a link to my expolits here for anyone interested.

Perhaps more of a what not to do. But should still come in handy as a point of reference for next year!

skavanagh.bikeradar

I've just read your account - hard lines. One of my three ride mates had similar problems to you about 3km from the end and some friendly spectators whisked him up the mountain to the finish - no medical centre, but not far off.

I too found the 20km stretch from the bottom of the Glandon to the start of the Telegraphe tough - didn't find a group going my pace all the way so spent time either pulling on the front of a slow group or getting dropped by faster groups. Nightmare. I agree about the Telegrahe feed/water station, next time I'll either top up at the water station at the bottom of the climb and/or stop in Valloire before the Galibier.

I found the hardest part of the day was the drag out of Valloire to Plan Lachat. I stopped for a coke from the Cafe at Plan Lachat which saw me up the Galibier in reasonable shape. My legs felt heavy on the climb around Les Deux Alpe and I sat up all the way on the flat to Bourg waiting for a mate who I'd passed taking his jacket off a bit before. He didn't come past (at the time I assumed he had in a fast group and I'd not noticed!) but I wasted time and energy cycling on my own on that stretch.

And the Alpe was okay until hairpin 12 - I'd been thinking I was going pretty well, smugly wondering why people were stopping/walking - then the wheels came off massively and it was survival after that. Not something I'd want to repeat in a hurry.

Like others, I've unfinished business. I completed it, but the course won.