Etape du Tour 2009!!!!

CyclingBantam

I know it is early but I am looking to plan ahead! How hard is it to get a place on the Etape normally? If you do it early is it easy enough or can getting a place be tough? Also when are the places available? Is it only after that years Tour route is announced?

Thanks for any advice!

Ben

pedylan

Entry only places are cheapest but hardest to get. You've got two options.

Look out on the cycling tour company web sites eg Cyclomundo, Sporting Tours; for pre registration for entry only. These generally get announced in October.

Velo magazine (I think in Feb) publishes entry forms but you have to get the entry form complete and back within a few days of issue so that means having a French address (doable if you've got any contacts in france though).

if you can't get an entry through either of these routes then sign up for a package with cycle tour companies. These are generaly publicised after the route is announced. Many think these are over priced but it's your choice. I got my entry this year by pre registering with Cyclomundo for entry only back in October.

Do a search on this site.

freddy2

I registered with sportstour international in October and payed a deposit for entry only for this years etape. It is expensive as they make their cut but it is the easiest way for UK based entrants. I sense that with the variety of sportives now available accross Europe that it might become easier to get entry into the etape because of its expense. For example I have noticed that sportstour suddenly have 200 entries become available for this years etape!

richa

Secure your place TODAY by booking on this pre-Etape training course:
http://www.sportstoursinternational.co. ... ng-weekend

Sports Tours have Etape 08 places for £150 here.

Kléber

£275 for a weekend in Skipton? :roll:

The hotel in question charges £70 per room and you share, meaning the hotel is charging £35 x 3 nights = £105, plus a bit for some buffet food. They then sell you a place on the Etape for £125, when it costs £40 in Velo Magazine. The whole "Etape" thing is becoming a giant industry.

Clearly people are happy to pay this money, if it makes you happy that's great. But a weekend in Skipton - sorry if you live there - well, for the same money, you could spend the weekend training on the Cote d'Azur and eat better too.

Do something else. Ride the Marmotte, Ariegeoise, Gran Fondo Campagnolo, Ardehcheoise or the Velo Ventoux, they're all just as good and probably harder and for all the money charged, you could probably ride two or three of these for the price of an Etape.

Yorkman

Kléber wrote:

£275 for a weekend in Skipton? :roll:

The hotel in question charges £70 per room and you share, meaning the hotel is charging £35 x 3 nights = £105, plus a bit for some buffet food. They then sell you a place on the Etape for £125, when it costs £40 in Velo Magazine. The whole "Etape" thing is becoming a giant industry.

Clearly people are happy to pay this money, if it makes you happy that's great. But a weekend in Skipton - sorry if you live there - well, for the same money, you could spend the weekend training on the Cote d'Azur and eat better too.

Do something else. Ride the Marmotte, Ariegeoise, Gran Fondo Campagnolo, Ardehcheoise or the Velo Ventoux, they're all just as good and probably harder and for all the money charged, you could probably ride two or three of these for the price of an Etape.

Sound advice.

If you go to Italy for the Campagnolo, the granfondo Marco Pantani is the following week as well.

You can do both for the same price, although the idea of going up the Gavia and the Mortirolo 1 week after a tough ride might not be everyones cup of tea.

Sfelt

RichA wrote:

Secure your place TODAY by booking on this pre-Etape training course:
http://www.sportstoursinternational.co. ... ng-weekend

Sports Tours have Etape 08 places for £150 here.

I was told a month ago there was no way now to enter!!!!! Thanks Rich.

freddy2

Having completed the 2008 version can't wait to enlist for 2009 as I fully expect this to be in the Alps. For the last two years I have got entry only from Sporting Tours but for next year I would like to try getting entry through the Velo magazine. I will be able to enlist the help of some very friendly french people I met this year but the only thing that is worrying me is the medical form. Anyone any experience of registering with Velo whilst living in the UK?

FransJacques

Musto_Skiff I'll reply to your question on this thread if you don't mind,

The ASO will not allow British-addressed individuals to apply direct to them for a place. Velo Magazine does send subscription mags to the UK but that doesn't get you a place via Velo, the only non-French based subscribers are the Belgians and Swiss. All readers enter a big lottery and some guys I spoke to who sent theirs in in Jan/Feb ended up in the 6000s so that's a crap shoot as well.
What I've learned from years of going to these things and seeing what takes place and getting what goss I can from various outlets I'll hypothesize the following generalities:

1 - 350 - exclusively for ASO (your Alain Prosts, Greg Lemonds, and other VIPs)
351 - 1000 - Paris clubs with ASO connections and etape performers
1001 - 2000 - Corporates with stands in start village - Rapha, Trek Travel, Look, DT Swiss, etc. as well as cyclists from local Pau clubs with ASO connections
2001 - 3000 - Velo readers / French travel operators
3000 - 4000 - Velo readers / Euro travel operators / Sporting tours had a block of 450 in this group
4001 - 4999 - Velo readers and travel operators
5000 - 6999 - Sporting Tours/Baxters, other UK operators
7000 - 9000 - More Velo readers / and foreign tour operators who didn't get into the original allotments for that operator. I signed up 1 week before the etape and got a 74xx bib

musto_skiff

So UK based riders are really can expect to be half way up at best; nice to be welcome at an event

toolonglegs

Just moved to France a month ago from Sydney...so hopefully I can get in with the velomag..not sure how a 105kg rider will handle the hills!...so i have 51 weeks to lose some weight

gradiric

I went with Sporting Tours this year and had bib number 2114. I pre-registered with Sporting Tours (for £25) before the route was announced and applied as soon as possible directly after it was announced. Don't know if that helped secure me a low starting number or I just got lucky...but I suggest you call Sporting Tours and ask them how the bib numbers are allocated for their clients.

niedermeyer

The operators are not making any money on the entry-onlies, as ASO charge them a premium (it's one of the ways they subsidise the event). ASO charge the operators like Sports Tours and French Cycling €120 per entry - £100 near as dammit. So if they are charging £120, and have to take VAT off that - leaves about 50p to cover the admin and postage.

Typically the operators get 3 or 4 blocks of entries - in the past these have started in the low 2000's, then the next in the 4000's etc, but have been higher this year - and are asked to allocate these to the fastest riders first. (Of course this is pretty difficult, and generally is done on a first come first served basis)

freddy2

I registered with sporting tours last year and ended up with a low 2000 bib number also. I paid the deposit early without knowing the route and will probably do the same again this year. The query about Velo was because it is significantly cheaper that way. Doesn't look easy or possible, even with friends living in France willing to do it for you.

FransJacques

The entry fee is another ASO money-grab: Eur 58 or £100 for us foreigners. That's right, we're underwriting a lot of the cost.

Will have to suck up to Peter for a 2xxx bib next year, that passing crap on the Hautacam was a nightmare. That a not finding a good group for the first 90 kms was a real pain.

bahzob

Just to be clear.

If I have a friendly french contact can I ask them to buy the feb edition of velo, fill it in in my name and send it in on my behalf?

popette

signing in for 2009 duties and feeling excited to be on this thread already

I have my name down with Cyclomundo for entry only in 2009. I'm planning to incorporate the Etape into a family holiday so will sort out my own accommodation this time around. Cyclomundo were excellent this year and really looked after me when I found out I couldn't take part.

Looking forward to the whole etape experience again and hopefully getting to ride it this time around.

daowned

I did it last year with Sporting Tours, who were 1st class and in particular Ian our rep in Pau who was very helpful to us and a nice fella.

If I am honest if you go with any sports tour company your going to pay through the nose, if you can afford that then that’s fine but the quality of the accommodation will not be inline with what you payout, that’s were the tour company has to make its money but the good thing is they will make sure your ok if the logistics of the whole thing is off-putting.

If your on a budget get a entry only from French Cycling holidays for about £125 as it was last year and camp the facilities are great in France and you will save a packed.

Sun Dodger

Also (more or less) signed up with Cyclomundo - Planning on taking a week or so around the Ètape to take in a bit more of the Alps and I guess the Tour itself.

Assuming of course it is the Alps - kind of hoping for Ventoux myself....

stjohnswell

Ventoux is top of my list for next year. If it isn't on the Etape (I doubt it would be) then I'll be entering a local sportive and save £££££££££

k1ng_of_england

I've ridden the last two E'tape's, firstly through a Sporting Tours (ST) package and last year by a ST entry only. It is expensive but if it's your first E'tspe then you really need their back-up, certainly I can thoroughy recommend the Skipton trsining weekend. I've done that twice.

ST have swallowed up lots of smaller operators and, imho are now too big. I placed three other entries with ST but my personal entry was cocked up (maybe by ASO) and it was a nightmare to sort out because there wasn't a french speaking ST rep on hand in the ASO tent at Pau. With 1000+ places in the E'tape ST should have better representation at the start village.

That said they did sort the problem and I was grateful for their support, I don't think I would have resolved the problem without their clout - the French are very stubborn.

If you want to get a good start number then register NOW with ST (before the route is announced in October). I investigated the Velo entry route with my Frech based colleague and it's not ideal if you require more than one entry - I believe there's a ballot system.

Last year I organised my own hotel and it proved to be far better located and better value than the ST equivalents - but you need to book on the day of the route announcement. Check out this web site:
http://paris.thover.com/story.php?l=en&f=SH&ID=65
they seemed to have inside info prior to the route announcement.

To those that gripe about the cost I say fine, don't enter, but for those of us that really enjoy the event then it's worth every penny.[url][/url]

synchronicity

Kléber wrote:

£275 for a weekend in Skipton? :roll:

The hotel in question charges £70 per room and you share, meaning the hotel is charging £35 x 3 nights = £105, plus a bit for some buffet food. They then sell you a place on the Etape for £125, when it costs £40 in Velo Magazine. The whole "Etape" thing is becoming a giant industry.

Clearly people are happy to pay this money, if it makes you happy that's great. But a weekend in Skipton - sorry if you live there - well, for the same money, you could spend the weekend training on the Cote d'Azur and eat better too.

Do something else. Ride the Marmotte, Ariegeoise, Gran Fondo Campagnolo, Ardehcheoise or the Velo Ventoux, they're all just as good and probably harder and for all the money charged, you could probably ride two or three of these for the price of an Etape.

It does all sound rather expensive, I agree. I've always been more of a fan of independent travel too... I shan't complain though, because a lot of my clients come to train in Tenerife for the etape + other events.

Russell Smith

Do something else. Ride the Marmotte, Ariegeoise, Gran Fondo Campagnolo, Ardehcheoise or the Velo Ventoux, they're all just as good and probably harder and for all the money charged, you could probably ride two or three of these for the price of an Etape.

What are the dates in 2009 or relative weekends for
the Marmotte,
Ariegeoise,
Gran Fondo Campagnolo,
Ardehcheoise
or the Velo Ventoux

pughc

FransJacques
Hi Frans,

I disagree with your comments above re starting places. I went through Sportstours and got a 2000 start place, as did several other people in the same hotel. One of them in the hotel got bib 50 and he definately was not a celeb. There was one celeb in the hotel and get got start place 5000 ish.

As far as I know other than the elite group the numbers are completely random.

Yorkman

Russell Smith wrote:

Do something else. Ride the Marmotte, Ariegeoise, Gran Fondo Campagnolo, Ardehcheoise or the Velo Ventoux, they're all just as good and probably harder and for all the money charged, you could probably ride two or three of these for the price of an Etape.

What are the dates in 2009 or relative weekends for
the Marmotte,
Ariegeoise,
Gran Fondo Campagnolo,
Ardehcheoise
or the Velo Ventoux

Granfondo Campagnolo has now been renamed Granfondo Sportful - no idea if Campag have pulled out forever or if it's a one off - same courses though.

Details here: http://www.granfondocampagnolo.it

knedlicky

Kléber wrote:

Do something else. Ride the Marmotte, Ariegeoise, Gran Fondo Campagnolo, Ardehcheoise or the Velo Ventoux, they're all just as good and probably harder and for all the money charged, you could probably ride two or three of these for the price of an Etape.

I agree, many cover famous routes/passes at less cost, consider sportives in Switzerland and Austria too.

knedlicky

musto_skiff wrote:

So UK based riders are really can expect to be half way up at best; nice to be welcome at an event

It was the UK which set the precedent to other sports events in how to exclude the non-home-based - how UK riders and other non-France riders fare in getting places in the Etape is nothing compared to how non-UK runners fare in trying to get places in the London Marathon.

Kléber

Russell Smith wrote:

What are the dates in 2009 or relative weekends for
the Marmotte,
Ariegeoise,
Gran Fondo Campagnolo,
Ardehcheoise
or the Velo Ventoux

Roughly speaking, in the same order as above:
First weekend in July
Last weekend in June
Mid June
Third weekend in June
Late May

The Etape is great but only one event on a big calendar. You can do several other rides for the price of one Etape. And if it's raining and snowing on the day of the Etape, you might not ride. So place your eggs in several baskets and have several goals for the year and not just one. These other events are far less hassle and stress too, no need to be stuck with number 9999 and beyond.

Chopster

Picking up on a post earlier, I would be interested to know, if you could choose, what the Forums preferred Etape area/route would be?

My preferences would be:

1. Provence - Mt Ventoux, last visited in 2001
2. Alps - Galiber, finishing in Courchevel (2000 TDF)
3. Pyrenees - finish in Luz Ardiden

johnbirkby46213

As a sort of "off topic", I am a teacher for my sins. i cannot do anything outside of term time (obviously). Whilst close to retiring (about 4 years if I'm lucky), I would really like to do some of the famous hills/mountains call em what you will, before i retire. So, is there a website with the dates of the other continental sportives?

ColinJ

johnbirkby46213 wrote:

As a sort of "off topic", I am a teacher for my sins. i cannot do anything outside of term time (obviously). Whilst close to retiring (about 4 years if I'm lucky), I would really like to do some of the famous hills/mountains call em what you will, before i retire. So, is there a website with the dates of the other continental sportives?

Hi John. Shouldn't that be 'I can only do things outside of term time' or is that a midlands expression, like the northern 'wait while the traffic lights are green' ? That really confused me when I moved up here.

If you got to the CycloSport website you can enter details of when and where you want to go and search for all matching events.