Dave Lloyd mega challenge too close to Marmotte or good prep

oldwelshman

Heres a good one.
My plan this year was less sportives but I have been roped into doing the Marmotte.
I was already registerred for Dragon as my parents are close to there so its good prep anyway.
What do you think about doing Dave Lloyd mega challenge the week before the Marmotte ?
On one hand, if you look at the pro's they do many stages like this day after day, on the other I am 46 and work full time (allegedly)
So is 142 miles over wicked hills good prep or too much too close to the Marmotte?

richa

I think so. It does depend a little on your fitness and ability to recover but I think that if the Marmotte is you premier aim then your performance will be diminished by doing a high intensity 147miles just 6 days before. I think a club run or similar would be better.

bahzob

Doing Marmotte. Think DL challenge too close for comfort. Plan to ride the DL route some time in April as training.

bahzob

PS re the pros. They do ride the stages back to back but not at full intensity. One of the many skills they have is how to ride fast smartly so as to speed recovery. (I have a great example of a stage ridden in the 2006 TDF where 40% of the ride was in the recovery zone but the rider still averaged nearly 27mph!)

Nature of the DL with its many climbs and distance will make it difficult to ride "easy" and in any case seems a shame not to go all out on a challenge as good as the DL promises to be.

mozwyn69

Well i have just decided to do the Paris Roubaix sportive (159 miles ish) and then off to Italy (providing my bike is still in one piece) the following weekend to do the Grando Fondo Campagnolo. I think a week should be enough to recover if your reasonably fit. I did the Marmotte last year and did a fair bit of cycling in the run up as we were on holiday in the area and i got around okay.
In 06 Mike Cotty was the first Brit home on the Etape and the Marmotte 2 days later.

Kléber

I've seen people do the Marmotte on Saturday and the Etape on Monday.

On the one hand, you're asking so the idea is in your mind, so go for it. But then you sound unsure, try a shorter event this year and then do it next year.

A long ride once a week should be fine, try some recovery rides during the week where you ride slowly for an hour or two, no effort. You should be ok.

Tjay

Go for it. In some respects the Lloydy mega challenge will be harder than the marmotte, i have never done it, but i know a few lads who have. i know all the hills and route that the mega goes over, we do them in club runs most weekends (Port Sunlight wheelers) not all together obviously, and it will be a stiff ride, but a week to recover with easy riding as has been suggested should be ok, as you sound as though you are up for it.Just as an example, I am 52 years old now, on my 50th birthday I rode the end to end in 6 days, unsure what to expect , I averaged 145 miles a day and i am what i would call an average club rider. so if you like you could say I rode 6 challenges consecutively, and its amazing how much of it is in your head.So I say go for it.

Bronzie

For an average rider I'd say no, but having tried to hold your wheel before now Welshie, I reckon you'll be fine - and then if you are still knackered at the start of the Marmotte, it gives me at least a snowball in Hell's chance of getting around before you!

oldwelshman

Bronzie wrote:

For an average rider I'd say no, but having tried to hold your wheel before now Welshie, I reckon you'll be fine - and then if you are still knackered at the start of the Marmotte, it gives me at least a snowball in Hell's chance of getting around before you!

Well I'm going shite at the moment rich, been doing tooooo much track and lost alllll my strength for climbs.
Trying to get base miles back in now. I maganged about 700 miles this monthe wgich is not bad considerring I lost a week and two weekends due to welsh grand slam
Been out every night this week going over hills, Ledbourn, Aston, Berko Castle, Ashridge, Hudnall and Downs, nice route of 50 miles.
I want to do another 4 weeks of this before considerring racing. Fancy a hilly night ride? It was great this week, cold evening, clear skies, I could hear the owls in the lanes and one swooped just over my head !!!
As long as the weather is dry, I plan to go out in evenings as weather is so un predictable at the mo it is easy to loose a weekend riding.
When we do MArmotte we are going to climb the galibier on the thursday if you fancy it?

Bronzie

oldwelshman wrote:

When we do MArmotte we are going to climb the galibier on the thursday if you fancy it?

Is that what you call a recovery ride? :shock:
I may be mad enough to try the Galibier on the Thursday - will have to see how I'm going by July!

I'm already doing 2 nighttime chaingangs a week (if not too wet and windy) although not really hilly. Could be tempted to swap one of these when the clocks go back next weekend for a longer hilly ride so keep me posted what days you are planning to do them.

I rode the Bowl races last 2 Saturdays just for a bit of training - certainly blew the cobwebs away but I was only capable of sitting at the back trying to keep out of trouble really.

oldwelshman

Willl give you a call, I am sure you know the routes, was good last week.
I did hard ride in wales on weekend alone, I have never experienced wind like it !!!
The Bwlch decent wa bad, the mountain arcs around and directs the wind, it was swirling, one second I was decending about 30mph winding up, the next I was blown across wrong side of road, then to the other and onto the grass!! Then it blwe me to a stop so I got off bike and had a job to stand. It lasted for about 5 minutes then eased so I got down as fast as possible :-)
You will see that mountain in the dragon, but going up it this year.
It was very weird conditions !!!