Etape 2009
Comments
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Hello NapoleonD
It was me that replied to Popette that it wasn't on TV, but I was talking about the Mondonvelo/EtapeDuTour on Monday. It's then that a recording of the French MTB championships will take the daily slice of time normally reserved for the Tour.
I've been watching the Tour itself on France 2/3 every day since it started.
Sorry if I misled anyone.0 -
that's not it NapoleonD - that's l'etape du jour (each day's stage) not l'etape du tour (the sportive).0
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ok - so who will get the bonus point for being the first rider to post up here having completed the ride today??
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The user and all related content has been deleted.0
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sportbilly1976 wrote:ok - so who will get the bonus point for being the first rider to post up here having completed the ride today??
Aren't people posting from the bike? Tweeting or whatever?0 -
phips wrote:Damn, drat and double drat - my etape was rudely ended this morning by a broken bolt on my seat collar. Hunted high an low for the mavic cars to no avail. Even started the ride - honked for 11km until I decided that wasn't going to work.
Absolutely gutted. I've been looking forward to this ride since they announced the route.
Meh. Beer.
Gutted for you.0 -
Also Cedric Vasseur, and Richard Virenque - who rode to a stage victory on Ventoux in 2002.Kléber wrote:I don't know if this has been mentioned before but the riders include Erik Zabel, green jersey winner, and Dutchman Steven Rooks, the King of the Mountains from 1988.
RV did this without radio link. Afterwards he said he gained some info on how he stood compared to those behind from hearing commentaries on the TVs of fans by the roadside but I wonder how true this is: I would imagine it's difficult to hear much clearly with the fans and the vehicle escorts. Perhaps it was just one of several statements made by RV to show his appreciation of the support he got from the roadside.0 -
phips wrote:Damn, drat and double drat - my etape was rudely ended this morning by a broken bolt on my seat collar. Hunted high an low for the mavic cars to no avail. Even started the ride - honked for 11km until I decided that wasn't going to work.
Absolutely gutted. I've been looking forward to this ride since they announced the route.
Meh. Beer.
Mavic mechanics are good. They replaced my bottom bracket in the 2001 etape. Unbeknown to me the threads in my bottom bracket shell were stripped (not noticed when bike was serviced the week before the event). This had the effect of the bottom bracket moving to the right, away from its normal position and resulted in the chain dropping down past the small chainring.
This was only diagnosed at the start line as I searched for a Mavic mechanic. He tried his best to adjust it and told me to carry on as one of his colleagues would be along on his motor bike. I was being overtaken by several riders until halfway up the Col D'Aspin I thought I'd wait for the motorbike.
After waiting a considerable amount of time the Mavic mechanic on the motorbike arrived, followed a few minutes later by the broom wagon. The female official wanted to dnf me, but the mechanic explained to her (probably) that as I was a foreigner,
who had trained all year, only to be on receiving end of a mechanical, I should be allowed to continue.
She agreed. The mechanic tried to use a penknife to re-grind the threads in the bottom bracket shell. When he decided it was not working, he produced an old fashion bottom bracket that was slid into the shell and tightened up from the other side.
The broom wagon official told me to carry on but that if they caught up to me I would have to abandon. I overtook about a dozen riders until I got about a quarter up the Col De Tourmalet, before sheer tiredness, the rain and the wind that was gaining strength forced me to quit. I sat by the roadside and waited for the humiliation of handing back the transponder to the broom wagon lady and waiting for the coach to pick me up and the truck to put my bike in.
By the time we got to Luz Ariden there were gail force winds and rain.0 -
Damn, that hurt. Carnage on Ventoux - helicopters and everything. Heat was horrendous and the water ran out at chalet Reynard by the time I got there0
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I enjoyed it, those hills on the way to Ventoux went by so quickly, they were nothing in comparison to the final climb. Perfect conditions: not to cold at the start and not too hot at the finish. It was very scenic but perhaps not the most epic of routes. Still pretty tired, luckily the local provence cuisine is good.0
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So wish I'd entered.
C'mon - more ride reports peeps!0 -
i thought ventoux was brutal.
The rest of the ride was really very pleasant. But it took me not far shy of half the time to cycle the first 150 km to do the last 20 ks. The forest was hot and the last two ks to chalet reynard the seemed to take forever although fortunately there was still water when I got there.
I certainly had a better day than my mate who got chronic cramp and seems to have ended up walking/crawling the last 10 kms.0 -
I had a pretty good ride. Made a slight tactical mistake after first climb and did a hard solo effort trying to catch group ahead before easing back only to get swept up by a quicker group that then, in any case, caught the group ahead for me.
Learned from that and did remaining climbs hard to move through field and then ease back on descent so as to be in group to run onto next hill. Worked well, groups were big and could take it pretty easy, though did need to do a bit of off and on with a Frenchman following a p stop to link up with group on false flat > Bedoin
Ventoux was hard, less shade than I expected in forest and got very hot. Very happy to see Cyclefit Julian there, he chucked me an extra bottle that was much appreciated.
Final run to summit was tough but seemed to go by quite quickly, think the wind was helping us, certainly cooled me down a bit.
Final numbers were something like: run to Bedoin 4:30, climb Ventoux 1:36 so total time around 6:07 comfortably inside 6:35 gold standard (and scarily close to my guesstimate that etape pretty much same as this years long Dragon, only 4 mins different in terms of time).
Low start number/quickish ride meant plenty of water at all the stops for me. Still I much appreciated the Cyclefit bottle in the Ventoux forest and it must have been a nightmare for later riders if stops ran short of water. So organisers - please buy a calculator and do some maths. 9500 riders = at least 19000 bottles of water at every stop. Plus how about
--> Water tankers every 10km after 50km where you can just get bog standard tap water to top up bottles/pour over head.
---> Sprinklers at a couple of points on tough climb like Ventoux so can ride through and cool down a bit
Just a PS I used a 34x27 for Ventoux and 34x24/25 for the other climbs.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
On the drinks, I think this was an important point if you were chasing a fast time. I kept stopping but many people had strategically placed helpers along the route to hand up food and water. On the first climb I think I was with the first two women and they were not just getting drinks, they had special sherpas alongside to pace them, at times even push them, even shower them in water as well as handing up supplies. The same for others who had helpers dotted along the course. Made me rather envious, I couldn't race as hard as I had to keep stopping for water.bahzob wrote:Ventoux was hard, less shade than I expected in forest and got very hot. Very happy to see Cyclefit Julian there, he chucked me an extra bottle that was much appreciated.0 -
Kléber wrote:On the first climb I think I was with the first two women and they were not just getting drinks, they had special sherpas alongside to pace them, at times even push them, even shower them in water as well as handing up supplies..
A little unfair on participants like yourself... what people will do eh?
Was there a fistful of dollars to win out there - side bets and all that?0 -
No money and besides, only a handful were really capable of winning, the winner after all was a pro, indeed the French national champion.JGSI wrote:Was there a fistful of dollars to win out there - side bets and all that?
My point was more that a little bit of organisation goes a long way, that some riders had some pretty slick back up. I'd like to try a family trip down and post various people at strategic points along the route next time although they might not agree with that!0 -
It's pretty normal for the top ladies to have a gregario boyfriend/husband/partner/clubmate working for them. You see it all the time in Italy, where the lady may be going for a podium placing and in the event photos you'll see her team or partner in shot doing the work on a climb.0
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Helpers...sheesh..cheats....... taking this far too seriously.....yeh go for a quick time, but having major backup...I'd question that as you are cheating yourself really......
Those of you that completed, did you take most of the stuff you needed ? What were the stops like for 'energy drink/food ?
BTW Well done all of you !!!!0 -
Well, I've done two endurance events this weekend...
Firstly, the Etape. The perfect 150km ride - some challenging but not "killer" climbs, descending the Col d'Ey and then the Col before Bedoin (tired, can't remember the name) at 75km/h was truly awesome.
The foodstops were a real scramble - everyone falling over each other to scramble for revolting hot bananas with some morons refusing to clip out of both pedals and inevitably falling over when they hit someone... Saw at least a dozen people go sideways. There was a reasonable supply of cereal bars, cake, dried fruit and sugary sweets, though.
Then came the last 22km. Actually, the first 5km out of Bedoin were a breeze. I was sick of energy drinks and gels by that point and threw away my last few Go bars, Clif bar and Nuun tablets (started the day with 8 energy bars. Ate 4) I just couldn't stomach any more - especially after I accidentally put 2 Nuun tablets in one bottle - uuuggghhhh. And taking on an energy gel - my only one of the day - felt like an achievement itself.
Then it got tough - my gauge read 42'C in the forest (where was the shade?) And I had to stop a couple of times - the legs were feeling ok but the sun had got to me and I threw up several times. Every 100 metres felt like a kilometre and I was praying for Chalet Reynard, determined not to have to walk at any point.
I felt like I was ready to pass out when the water stop suddenly appeared, but I was fortunate that there was still some water left. (Feel sorry for those that turned up an hour later when it had all gone). So I doused myself, threw up one last time and then had the best can of Coke I've ever tasted. I waited for half an hour and, loaded with caffeine, decided I'd cooled enough to go for it.
Sure enough, I blasted through the next 5km like Contador until the heat got me again with about a kilometre to go. But with the finish in sight I managed to finish after 8 hours of cycling, seeing double and crying like a baby both from the pain and the emotion. Never done anything as physically challenging as this - the marathon just doesn't compare - and what a truly awesome feeling.
And as for the second endurance event...? Flying home with BA... 4 hour delay after the pilot found a nail in one of the tyres... (Offered to fix it with a patch and blow it up with the track pump, they weren't keen). The bike is apparently still in Lyon... And now I have to face the M25.0 -
Well done to Popette for finishing, I know it was a big goal of hers. I hope you enjoyed it! 8)0
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Yes. a ride of two parts, a fantastic first 90 miles, easy hills great descents, cheering crowds, followed by hell on the Ventoux. So hot it was like being slowly grilled in an oven.
Probably a lovely climb early in the day when there is some shade in the trees but not yesterday. Didn't walk like loads of people but it was close. I wasn't riding much faster anyway.
Enjoyment 5/10
The experience 10/10
Do it again: Probably0 -
Ventoux was v difficult, but we knew that beforehand. You had to remember to eat and drink regularly even though the chaos at the feed stations made that difficult. Fortunately I had family to meet me shortly after the first stop and that was a great help.
With so many riders it was easy to find groups even when, like me, you lost them on the climbs. That meant I got to Bedoin in 6 hrs, which I was delighted with, plenty of time to climb Ventoux. Managed to climb all the way but took 2 stops, 1 for an energy gel the other at the drink stop. I couldn't do two things at once by that stage. I finished in 9 hours which was my aim when I included stops and the delay of getting across the start line from pen 6 so was pretty pleased with myself.
The scenery was fantastic and the descents were exhilarating, especially off Sault and Notre Dame. Closed roads make such a difference. I even enjoyed the weather because last year's was a wash out and the year before that it was late in the day before I reached the big climbs.
My third etape and you can never repeat the joy of your first time finish but it is always a great feeling when you cross that line. The crowds that come out to cheer are tremendous. However I thought the organisation around the event was poor this year, especially at the finish. The finish village was in a difficult location for those not doing the event and the mountain top finish reduces the access for supporters dramatically. Maybe 9,500 was just too many for the route and organisers.
That said, still a great day and despite some of the stick it gets it is easily one of the top events for cyclists. You really should do one if you get the chance.0 -
Kléber wrote:Well done to Popette for finishing, I know it was a big goal of hers. I hope you enjoyed it! 8)
wooooooooooooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo - thank you Kleber :-)
I'm going to blog this but here's the summary:
heaven and hell in one day. Heaven - the descents were awesome. Getting to the top of Col de ND Abeilles (sp?) was one of the highlights of my entire life probably - those mountain views stir something within me that makes my lips tremble and my eyes water. The descent off there was thrilling - I kept off the brakes for much of the time and got up to some fair old speeds. I took it easy on the climbs, trying to keep my heart rate to the 140s, and I got to bedoin feeling really fresh - around 6hrs30mins - and buzzing. I thought I'd have stacks of time to get up Ventoux but it really was hellish wasn't it? At the turn at St Esteve, I noticed a few walkers, then more and more until they were 3 deep going up the road. Then there were those just laying at the sides of the road, trying to get a rest in the shade. The next level of devastation came with the vomiters. The sirens, gears pinging under the immense strain and footsteps - those were the sounds I remember. I was determined not to walk. I got to 162km and allowed myself a stop to swap bottles around and get a gel down me. I stopped another time further up for more food. At chalet reynard, after finding no water and getting some from the toilets, I just broke down - full on sobbing my eyes out. A French guy patted me on the back and then a nice chap called Mike (I think - brain not too good by then) said he would ride up with me. The last 6km was so much easier - that little bit of breeze really helped and the gradient didn't seem quite so bad. With 500m to go, I was surprised that people were still walking - I thought to myself that surely they must want to go over the line on their bike. Perhaps they just had absolutely nothing left in the tank. Finished and crying again. Just amazing to have finished. I thought that I was well ahead of the broom wagon - looking at the times, it seems I was only around 20 mins ahead. (earlier I'd built up a good hour lead on it). My total time 10:08. My time from the starting mat to the finish - 9:42.
Well done to all of you that took part. It was an unbelievable day - Ventoux is incredibly hard. I'm amazed at some of the times - just fantastic. Having done it, I just want to get better and better and definitely do another european sportive - marmotte next I think.
Phips - so sorry to hear about your problem. The thing that we all dread happening - so gutted for you.
Bry - was lovely to meet you briefly. You looked really strong on that climb (was it fontaube?)
Everyone who said hello - was such a boost to hear friendly voices. 0 -
Congratulations Popette and everyone who rode this year. It seems to have been quite the adventure!0
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FatLarry wrote:Well, I've done two endurance events this weekend...
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I was on the same flight Fat Larry. Amazing that they couldn't find a tyre in an airport any quicker!!!!!! All that mess with getting off the plane , recollecting our luggagae and bikes , then queing up for hours at the BA counter without much news, could have been avoided in my opinion
Back to the Etap again share some points with Larry. It was a race of 2 halves for me. A brilliant , enjoyable fast 150km to Bedoin and a hell of a climb up Ventoux in 40 Degree heat. First 5 km easy , but then the real difficulty started and the next 11km were sheer hell. I take it the fact that so many riders were walking , stopping and even vomiting didnt help ones own phycoligical battle.
Although I tried again and again not to stop in the end I did. 3 times in total for long enough to take on a gel or some extra drink and cool down a bit. But wot ever I drank and ate it did not get any easier until Chalet Renard. Luckily I was there when they still had water, I cant imagine how I would have felt if there wasn't...the organisers really have to sort out this problem.
The last six km started easy, but after 3 km the going got a bit tough again..one more quick stop with 1km to go and then I went for it ...Well kind of. There were too many paparatzi and I didnt want them to see how much I was suffering. I didnt walk and I luckly didnt vomit...but i did suffer
In the end a very enjoyable day. Great climbs, super descents ( including the one down Mont Ventoux ), some superb scenery and great weather ( compared to last year ). But just a tad too hot on the middle bit of the climb up Ventoux
Like Poppet , I now want to improve and get better.
As to BA...well a letter will go out to them later today
Oh by the way..I was also stuck in the mother of all traffic jams on Saturday between Lyon and Valence . I managed to do 110 km in 4.5 hours ( would have been much fatser on the bike ) and still had the priviledge to pay a toll for it...So maybe that makes it 3 endurance test in one weekend for me
Well done to every one who did it , even the ones that didnt finish
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Well done all who took part and completed with only teh suport of the organisers - no water on the ventoux sounds like a nightmare
And well done Popette - after all your heart problems and fixes you must be so pleased in so many ways, at so many levels.
And yes it is a lovely area - I holiday just northeast of ventoux - have done so for 5-6 years and it still does that trembly lip/watery eye thing....
WELL DONE!0 -
Hi,
just a note from someone who finished in the car balai. If you enter next year beg borrow or steal a lowish number. Richard and I applied through a company who should remain nameless and had numbers in the mid 8000s and were at back of pen eight. Watching the elimination vehicles leaving minutes before us concentrated the mind. We finally crossed the line after 0740 and both of us had to stay in the red zone after that. Richard buried himself to keep ahead, I buried myself until puncturing on col 2. The bus was a gloomy place.
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Well done everyone, especially Karen after last year I am really pleased for you.0
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Just home after a long journey back in the car! M25 hell!
Thought the Etape was an amazing experience but have mixed emotions about how I did. Don't know if I paced it right - started in the last pen, didn't want to get caught by the broom wagon (e.g. with a puncture!) in the first hour, thought it would probably be comfortable to get a silver, somehow spent a little too long fighting for water (decided not worth bothering trying to get food - too much hassle) and relieving myself in a cafe in Sault (sorry if that's too much info, but I got up at 4am, dashed to the pen as I didn't want to be at the back of the very last pen, and then couldn't go to the loo properly before the event! I said it would be tricky for the girls and I was right!). Then somehow I got to the Ventoux and realised it was going to be tight to get silver, and then I started just thinking about survival when I realised how painful it was in that heat! It was all I could do just to keep the pedals turning over, but am proud of myself for keeping going - when you see others walking, it's always tempting, but I felt that if I stopped I would never get going again. Upon arriving at Chalet Reynard and finding no water, I was almost to knackered to think too much about it so (after drinking the dregs of some bottles on the floor!!!) I kept going to the top. Was so relieved to cross the line! I then got stung for a can of coke in that shop...but frankly would have paid ANYTHING for a coke at that moment! Oh yeah, and I missed silver by 4 mins - whoops. Will have to keep better track of time next time (if there is a next time. There probably will be, once I've had time to recover from this one).
Popette - MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS! You did absolutely fantastically, I know you will be absolutely thrilled. It was great to meet you too, and you were also looking good on that climb! Hopefully we'll see each other at another event some time. I did look out for you at the finish, but was in a kind of exhuasted trance by then. It was a bit of a struggle to ride back up the hill from the food tent, before the descent! I knew you would do it, but it was emotional, wasn't it. I cried at the top too, once I'd managed to lie down with my coke and phone everyone I could think of!
Well done to everybody else too. Great effort!0 -
Commiserations to Videolip and anyone else like me who didn't quite make it and heartfelt congratulations to those who did. Still, it was a great day on the bike, the experience of riding a Tour stage (or most of one) on closed roads with crowds cheering you on is unparalleled.
My own tale of woe is getting over the start at 07:23, making decent progress to Bedoin arriving about 2.10 pm still 20 mins ahead of elimination, and then crumbling in the heat and sheer, unrelenting steepness of the windless forest. The camion balai caught me around 4.20 pm just a couple of km's below CR, after which by all accounts things eased off a touch. On reflection I should have made more of the pelotons that formed in the run-in to Ventoux; I did too much of it on my own, sticking to advice to "go at my own pace" ! Put it down to experience.
Having my pride to think of, I decided I'd try to avoid going in the bus; immediately turned tail down the mountain and handed my transponder to a bloke in one of the cars following, made up a story about going to a camp site in Bedoin, and then cycled to my lift home in Malaucene over Col de la Madeleine, about a further 20 km in all since they were parked about 2 km up the other side of the hill !
I really do feel for those who got closer than me but were pulled over; one of our group was unfortunate enough to vomit in sight of an ambulance 2 km from the top and was whisked to the medical tent at Mont Serein, another got stopped after CR. Yet another was 2 mins off a silver medal - I think he felt the worst of the lot!0
