Etape 2008

Jonathan G

I have booked with Sporting tours their Yorkshire Dales training weekend and the Etape 2008. I wondered if anybody had any or knows where i can get information on the Etape such as what the maximum time allowed is ?, And how quickly you have to get to the elimination zones ?. For instance what speed will i have to ride at if i am one of the last to be released and dont want to be eliminated ?.I have been riding for three years how and am 51 years old.I am not actually sure i can do this and am beginning to panic.I live in Norfolk so training on hills is limited. Can anyone help ?

daowned

I think we are all still awaiting that information from the l'etape du tour website, I noticed as well that my own name isn't down in the starting list but I am sure it will all be updated soon.

I am a first time etaper myself Jonathan and like your self I would just be pleased to finish and beat the broom wagon which is a massive achievement for anyone considering the route and all the things that can go wrong.

I would recommend you get a triple chainset or a compact 50/34 12/27 to get you up the hills, I don't know how your training is going and I am no expert but if you haven't done any 100 mile rides I would get a good few in the legs then I would ride as many hill as I can at the weekend.

The Yorkshire Dales rides by Sporting Tours will probably be a baptism of fire for you as will any fast group riding if you haven't done it before, it might be a good idea to join a club for a few social rides as well to get used to group riding it will do so much for your stamina that riding on your own.

To start cycling at 48 and do a etape at 51 is quite amazing, best of luck.

pedylan

Hi Jonathan. Search the forum , and this section in particular, for a variety of Etape du Tour threads.

There is a fair bit of info on the official site but the best and most helpful bits are only in the French section. On times for example there are three categories (see this link http://www.mondovelo.fr/etape2007/preparation-finir.htm ) the "just hope I finish" category target seems to be seven hours. There will be anything up to two hours above this before the broom wagon I guess. Have a browse across all three for some guidance on preparation and gearing. But be aware there is a lot of good info (some of it contradictory) elsewhere.

Good luck to you - and the rest of us!

Jonathan G

Thanks for that ,i will keep an eye on the sites you mention, as for the other advice i have ordered the bits needed to convert my Giant to a triple,Trainings not going well i suffer with cramp when the weather is cold and woke up this morning with a couple of inches of snow on the lawn so another weekend gone and no rideing `roll on the sun`

Anonymous

The etape this year is much more manageable than last years epic but it still will hurt like hell :!:

I've never been up Hautacam but I know thats its supposedly very difficult with constantly changing gradients.

But I have did the Tourmalet from Campan...and IMO its a total killer...in every aspect, I did it in around 25 degrees heat and it was torture...I had a bad day right enough but I'd say its the 3rd toughest climb I've ever did abroad...and to think you maybe facing 30oC + temp in July...its going to be tough...and hautacam afterwards will be tremendously difficult....I think theres a good reason that George Hincapie and Andy Hampstead feared this climb of the Tourmalet more than any other in the TDF...you just don't get any respite at all...good luck and prepare yourself appropriately.

P.s I'd heavily advise a triple.

Jonathan G

I look forward to the possible heat ,the triple is organised,but first of all i have to get to the climbs .Do you know what sort of average speed i will have to do for the first 50 miles to avoid elimination ?

andyp

Jonathan - don't worry about it. I'm convinced that every year quite a few Brits fail to finish the Etape because they spend all their energy focusing on the negatives, i.e. getting swept up by the broom wagon or the heat or the climbs or a combination of the three.

If you can, join your local cycling club and go out with them on group rides. If they organise a chain gang in the week then join that too. What you want to be able to do is to ride comfortably in a fast moving group as this is a key skill in continental cyclosportives like the Etape. If you can stick with a good, fast moving group for the first 50 miles then you'll finish.

Bronzie

This unofficial UK site is very helpful and does a route analysis and normally a time schedule although I can't see this on there at the minute:
http://www.etape.org.uk/

rendo

so, what are peoples target, seven hours to 'just finish' still averages (in my calcs) 15mph. i used this average as a target for the B-N-B last year, and came in 5mins before that.
Have a request from Cyclomundo to estimate my finish time for determining bib number. i guess you want to be optimistic in this to get a better start position. think i might stick it down as 6/6.5 hours.

rendo

just to add to pedylan's link, and answer my own question

gold award is under 5h
silver, between 5h and 7h
bronze is over 7h

don't see any indication of the cut-off times

popette

rendo wrote:

so, what are peoples target, seven hours to 'just finish' still averages (in my calcs) 15mph. i used this average as a target for the B-N-B last year, and came in 5mins before that.
Have a request from Cyclomundo to estimate my finish time for determining bib number. i guess you want to be optimistic in this to get a better start position. think i might stick it down as 6/6.5 hours.

I've said 9 hours in my application. Someone told me that being female may mean they give me a better bib number - fingers crossed they had it right.

Rich.H

105 miles with 3000m ascent @ 15 mph feels about right for me on the Etape....that gives me 7 hours, which is what I put down on my form for Cyclomundo.

I usually average 17.5 on Dragon Ride / Polka Dot etc but the heat and sustained climbing are the unknowns for me.

Rich

pedylan

popette wrote:

rendo wrote:

so, what are peoples target, seven hours to 'just finish' still averages (in my calcs) 15mph. i used this average as a target for the B-N-B last year, and came in 5mins before that.
Have a request from Cyclomundo to estimate my finish time for determining bib number. i guess you want to be optimistic in this to get a better start position. think i might stick it down as 6/6.5 hours.

I've said 9 hours in my application. Someone told me that being female may mean they give me a better bib number - fingers crossed they had it right.

I've been sent the same email from Cyclomundo. So to get a good bib number I either lie about my speed or my sex.

Tough call.

If I can finish in 8 hours I'll be delighted.

popette

cyclomundo also said that this year the bib number is less relevant as the roads at the start are wide.

popette

I just heard that the times (gold, silver, bronze, and cut-off times) will be published in the leaflet that is sent by ASO--usually in May

daowned

Anyone heard from Sporting Tours about the Etape? No? Guess we will when they want the final payment hehe...its all Cyclomundo here

I would say I would be in the 15mph 7 hours cat, but your going to make up great time if you get in a fast group and the downhills from the big climbs.

I think the key really for me is keeping up a good cadence on the climbs, tucking in down the hills and drafting faster riders, a silver for under 7hrs would be a massive effort for me.

Rendo:Hope all is going well with your training, I am heading down with a mate from Glasgow to do the Lakeland Loop in 3 weeks if your interested?

http://www.epicevents.org/product.php?xProd=14&xSec=2

rendo

daowned wrote:

.

Rendo:Hope all is going well with your training, I am heading down with a mate from Glasgow to do the Lakeland Loop in 3 weeks if your interested?

http://www.epicevents.org/product.php?xProd=14&xSec=2

could be tempted, need to check my calendar

kmahony

I make it about 3600m of climbing in total?

For me it breaks up into 4 sections:
1) Flat Section - 96.5km (includes about 700m of climbing)
2) Tourmalet - 23.5km
3) Descent - 32.5km
4) Hautacam - 15.5km

Then it's just a matter of trying to work out avg pace for each section. Based on my old data I'm thinking about 9hrs not including breaks or any drop off in performance!!!

Although hoping to get to July lighter, stronger and fitter than before.

Any chance they'll make the cut-off at a 9h30 or 10h pace???

daowned

Thanks for the stats Kmahony do you have the official route?

I reckon for the first 96.5km it will be crucial to pace oneself at a comfortable speed and not use a lot of energy to try and stick with faster riders, I made that mistake at the last sportive I did (bealach) and the time I got to the big climb I wasn't as strong as i could have been if I had used my head a little more.

Although hoping to get to July lighter, stronger and fitter than before

Yeah me too as are we all I reckon

kmahony

I created this guess at the route on Bikely. It's missing 18-19km, but they're all before the first small climb, so there's a different/longer route out of Pau.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Et ... -200898900

There's a few different quotes for the climbs. I think it's probably closest to:
Tourmalet 17.2 @ 7.4%
Hautacam 14.5 @ 7.2%
But slightly ignores the long run up to the Tourmalet.

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ntainID=25
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ainID=6855

rendo

i mapped this from the descriptions take from the tour route. only difference is at the start, but comes out at 164km, strangely the tour route says its 156

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/20 ... pe-du-tour (hope this works)

http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/COURSE/fr ... .html#comm

pedylan

Good routes guys. The destinations will be subject to change depending on "local negotiation". I think you're pretty well spot on with route and distance, the official site actually mentions both 165km and 169km on the Parcours page so it's obviously not set in stone.

I'm interested in your total climb calculation Kmahony. I get it it to around 3100m max how do you get to 3600m? This could make a difference!!

richa

pedylan wrote:

I think you're pretty well spot on with route and distance, the official site actually mentions both 165km and 169km on the Parcours page so it's obviously not set in stone.

This is sometimes due to the TdF having a 'neutralised zone' leading from an 'initial' start in town out to the 'official' start point. The Etape just starts in town so the ride length is the same but the race length longer in the Etape.

jhop

'just to add to pedylan's link, and answer my own question

gold award is under 5h
silver, between 5h and 7h
bronze is over 7h'

Times for Gold and Silver have always been age category related on my previous etapes.
Assuming this will be the case again this year, what age category are these times for?

Also 'over 7h' is a bit meaningless without the upper cut-off time which is usually around a 20k per hour average I think.

kmahony

Looking at the elimination times of the last 2 years. It does seem to be a bit more generous than you'd expect.

2007
Start 07h00 07h40
End 19h00
Dist 199
Speed 16.6-17.6kph

2006
Start 07h00 07h30
End 18h00
Dist 191
Speed 17.4-18.2kph

2004-05
Can't find detailed info, but 19kph is quoted a few times:

For this year (taking 169km as the distance)
16.6 - 10:10
17.4 - 09:42
17.6 - 09:36
18.2 - 09:16
19.0 - 08:53
20.0 - 08:27

But as it's a bit easier, they could aim for a quicker average?
Also, does anyone know if 30-40mins is correct for getting everyone away?

jhop

Yes for each of my previous 4 etapes I have been no nearer the front than half way and have usually crossed the line about 20 minutes after the start. Even those at the very rear seem away by 30- 40 minutes judging by feedback from others.

You are right about times being adjusted according to the difficulty of the ride.

Having been very close to Silver at my first attempt in 2003 Pau - Bayone I really expected to go all out for Silver in 2004 Limoges - St Flour BUT on arrival at the start village I found the times listed as beyond my best hopes and too quick to even encourage me to go for silver.
That year we also had to do the first 30k in less than an hour so we started very swiftly on what was one of the longer etapes ever.

Ken Night

jhop wrote:

Yes for each of my previous 4 etapes I have been no nearer the front than half way and have usually crossed the line about 20 minutes after the start. Even those at the very rear seem away by 30- 40 minutes judging by feedback from others.

You are right about times being adjusted according to the difficulty of the ride.

.

Jhop

Can you share the times for broom/medals for the last three editions?

jhop

I can't remember all of the details but this link was for 2006 under practical information on the left click on time schedule.

http://www.letapedutour.com/2006/us/index.htm

And this for 2007:
http://www.letapedutour.com/2007/ETDT/p ... eraire.htm

As you can see very detailed times are eventually given and it is possible to calculate what you need to achieve for survival.

You can see that in 2006 they allowed 30 minutes for all to cross the line and in 2007 30 minutes.

musto_skiff

I am slightly interested in this ride perhaps next year but fear the climbs; what sort of power would you need to keep up on the climbs to plod up at an average pace?

I am 80kgs BTW ...

daowned

musto_skiff wrote:

I am slightly interested in this ride perhaps next year but fear the climbs; what sort of power would you need to keep up on the climbs to plod up at an average pace?

I am 80kgs BTW ...

Why don't you do it this year there is still places left!

80kgs is about 13 stone (175lb) mostly depends on you fitness level than weight I would think your not a heavy guy/gal a compact would be fine I would think.

musto_skiff

daowned wrote:

musto_skiff wrote:

I am slightly interested in this ride perhaps next year but fear the climbs; what sort of power would you need to keep up on the climbs to plod up at an average pace?

I am 80kgs BTW ...

Why don't you do it this year there is still places left!

80kgs is about 13 stone (175lb) mostly depends on you fitness level than weight I would think your not a heavy guy/gal a compact would be fine I would think.

I'd be nowhere near ready - I'm just back to biking after a 15 year gap!!