La Marmotte Route

dave milne

I'm doing it. Got 6:15 in the dragon ride yesterday but that was on my absolute limit. I will not be attempting to push that hard in the marmotte accept in the very unlikely scenario I feel fresh at the bottom of the alpe. Have done about 8 100+ rides this year so feeling pretty good about training. Just hope the weather is good, no rain and no searing heat

itisaboutthebike

I reckon that 8:17 in the Dragon (23kph) is more like to be equivalent to 11-12hrs. Reckon the key to the Marmotte is sure and steady. Pace yourself on the climbs and enjoy the descents (there isn't much else).

Yes I know - but I was trying to err on the positive side...........!

Ironman595

Hi another Marmotter..

I did the Dragon 3 years ago but can't remember the time I did, did la marmotte last year (7hr 29min- 2 weeks after Ironman France, 10hr 20min).

La marmotte is much, much harder than the dragon, the guys are right when they say they are steeper and longer.

Biggest thing I found was not to underestimate the telegraph- personally I didnt expect it to be as hard as it was, it really took my legs for the galibier!
Also, as much as you will want to rest at the top of the galibier- try to keep it under 5min + loo stop. You will get cold and shiver on the descent only slowing descending ability.. It can be a scorching hot day and still be ice cold up there....a light gillet and arm warmers a must!
other opinions?

It will be very tempting to form groups and the flat sections between glandon- telegraph and galibier-ADH, the riders seem to forget the climbing there still is and the pace is quick, try not to get dragged into working hard at the front... they may get frustrated in you not helping out at the front but remember to keep you pace and stick with it!! Theres no point being a hero on the flat, it's a waste of energy.

no tips for d'huez- it's just about suriving and keeping on moving.

I'll stop waffling now. I'll be there this year, only decided last week, only been over 100miles once this year in April. This is going to hurt!

Cheers

itisaboutthebike

Maander - this is MY eating/drinking strategy FWIW.

Food - unless you know EXACTLY what will be on offer at the food stops (and its what you like) then best to take some of your own food. I've found that fruit cake (well Somerfields Genoa cake which is quite moist and 'farily' easy to digest) works for me. I take 2 or 3 slabs indiviually wrapped in foil and start eating them from about mile 10-15. I alo take a couple of bananas. And again will have a mouth ful of banana every so often (interspered with the cake). I aim to eat all my solids (bananas and cake) by about mile 60ish. I may have the odd extra banana at the food stops to replenish my supplies. I generally don't eat solid food after mile 60. I also take 3 or 4 gels(maybe 5+ for the Marmotte) and have these from about mile 70 until about 5-10 miles from the finish. For the Marmotte I'll be saving 2/3 gels for the Alpe specifically.

Drink - I use a mixture of SIS Go and PSP22 (about 70 Go 30 PSP22) in 1 750 ML bottle and plain water in the other 500ML bottle (to wash fruit cake down with - if necessary - or to chuck over myself if I'm too hot) . I drink about 750 Ml per 2 hours (I know this is less than recommended but I can't take the 750ML/hour). I also carry 2 or 3 small plastic screw top bottles of said go/psp22 mix as I don't want to get to a food stop and then they have no energy drink left. Best to be self sufficient.

The above sounds in lot in the back pockets - it is. But it goes down quickly and by the time I get to the Alpe I'll only have 2/3 gels plus a full 750ML bottle and full 500ML. This should (hopefully) get me to the finish !

Hope this helps.

naylor343

Hi, must agree with everything said so far, nothing in the UK can compare to the marmotte. If you take the climb of the telegraph/Galibier, forget the fact that there is a 5 km flat section after the summit of the telegraph. Look at it as a single climb of 35 km. If you feel pretty good on the telegraph, then you really need to be discilplined, stay seated and back of a gear or two. So many people push it up the first climb only to die a death on the second. Until you've done it you cannot comprehend completing a climb that stands head and shoulders over any UK climb to have it immeadiately followed by a second that over shadows it too.

The climb of the Glandon is no push over either, but you will be fresh and you can only really travel at the speed of the bunch, so pushing it too hard is difficult. As it is so early on the route you are pretty much trapped on a slow moving conveyor belt with 8000 others kirb to kirb. As some others have mentioned, take Alpe D'Huez as it comes, the first few hairpins are the worst and it gets easier after the first village on the climb.

Top tips, sit in along the Maurriene valley and if you find yourelf isolated, sit up and wait for a bunch, same goes for the descent from the Lauteret to Bourg. Stay in the bunch, there are a lot of work shy riders and they let people sit on the front and fry given half a chance. Also, the feed stations are full of soft cheese that at the time is probably the most un-apertising thing you can imagine, however if you can stomach it, it is full of salt and is invaluable for fending off cramp.

This entire thread, including my tuppence worth, do all seem like a lot of doom and gloom, but ride carfully and well within your abilities and you will enjoy it and talk about it for years to come, have a good day.

itisaboutthebike

This entire thread, including my tuppence worth, do all seem like a lot of doom and gloom, but ride carfully and well within your abilities and you will enjoy it and talk about it for years to come, have a good day.

Yep - couldn't agree more.

Just hope the weather is good on the day (and not too hot !).

agnello

In some ways it is not about 'riding within your abilities'.

For a first timer (especially if you've not done Alps before) it is more a question of
'finding what your abilities are'

I guess that's why we do it.

And why people keep going back.

I aim not to crash this year!

stjohnswell

great tips everyone

big_phil

I did Marmotte in 2007 after dragon, etape du dales and other assorted UK sportives. I can only echo above comments - Marmotte is the hardest thing you will do on a bike...keys areas are (IMHO) judging your pace - really steady on Glandon and very slow and steady at the start of the Telegraph as it is a long long long way to the top.... do not ride like a muppet on the descents and on the flat - particularly the long descent to Bourg - this is usually into a headwind and can really sap your strength - also there are a couple of long tunnels so be really careful with traffic coming the other way!!! Roads are not closed for ther Marmotte...and take your sunglasses off - and drink lots of water - and as suggested keep a bottle just for water that you can pour over your head. On the last climb I took of crash had and poured water on cap to keep head cool....enjoy...

mark_d

naylor343 wrote:

Also, the feed stations are full of soft cheese that at the time is probably the most un-apertising thing you can imagine, however if you can stomach it, it is full of salt and is invaluable for fending off cramp.

Too right. I took a few Babybel at the feed in Valloire and ate them coming off the Galibier. Delicious! After a lot of sweet, sticky food a change of taste and texture was very welcome.

Last year I sat in a huge bunch between the Glandon and Telegraphe without getting anywhere near the front half. In a UK sportive I wouldn't do this -- it's cheeky and boring -- but on the Marmotte it's all about saving energy. There will *always* be people who want to tank along. Let them take you too! And watch the railway tracks that cross the road.

pinkbikini

baguette and a bottle of vin rouge is what you really need at the top of the galibier.

russell_in_france

pinkbikini wrote:

baguette and a bottle of vin rouge is what you really need at the top of the galibier.

It was in 2002 when we had fresh snow and two degrees on the Galibier. I've never seen my legs go so red on a descent and I couldn't even pee on my hands to try and warm up. Thankfully, I think us Brits ride better when the weather is like this. Most of the guys around here won't ride if it's raining - I remember not having the choice back in Cheltenham.

The only part of the course that worries me is the descent of the Glandon. It's steep, it's technical and it's a small road that will be full of cyclists that don't know the road. It's true the road surface is good, but there aren't many roads that worry me like this one. I rode it a few weeks ago, and I plan to take it easy dropping down here in the Marmotte. Take it easy here and make it down.

Russell
www.grenoblecycling.com

sudholz

Hello Everyone,

I did the Marmotte last year and am happy to second all comment about it being the hardest (and most fulfilling) day you will spend on a bike.

As has been established, the first descent is the Glandon and it is easy to overcook the entry to some of the corners at the top. As other posters have already mentioned the factors you need to take into account are poor/patched tarmac, tightening bends, oncoming traffic and some shocking technique from other riders. If you are not a confident descender all I can say is try to stay off the fastest line and avoid random braking mid-bend by making sure you have lost all the speed you need to prior to the corner.

I decided not to go back this year to attempt to better my Silver..opted for the Maratona instead. What I have done is a comparison of the hardest day of UK riding I have done with the Marmotte. Having ridden the Dragon 3 times, the Tours of Dartmoor and Black Mountains, Surrey Legs etc the one I found toughest was day 3 of the Tour of Wessex (probably coz it was day 3 :? ).

Anyway the picture tells the story better than I can write it.



S

rowman

I've done the Marmotte for the last two years. The advice on this thread is absolutely spot on. If I may? I'd just make a few additional comments:

1. avoid the 30mph+ road race from Borg to the bottom of the Glandon.

2. take it easy on the Glandon, last year I had lots of people overtaking me visibly out of breath. Let them go, you will pass them within the next 30 minutes...

3. There is a water only stop at the top of the Telegraph. I've used this twice now and there are no queues.

Rich

schweiz

schweiz wrote:

Next Saturday I plan to do Brünigpass-Grimselpass-Furkapass-Sustenpass-Brünigpasswhich from my house is about 190km with 5000m ascent. If I do that okay with a compact then I'll take the VN to France, otherwise it's the BMC with a triple.

Well I did my last big pre-Marmotte training ride. 163km, 4950m ascent, 4 passes (Susten, Grimsel, Nufenen and Gotthard) in 8hrs 28 riding time and always felt comfortable with the compact, so the compact it is. It was a mixed bag day weather-wise. Trying to snow on the top of the Susten, sun breaking through on the top of the Grimsel, sunny but windy on the Nufenen and blowing a gale on the Gotthard. Was out with 2 friends and we took it easy with 2 decent coffee breaks and a long lunch break giving a total time of over 12 hours. Gold Brevet? It's gonna be hard, but all I can do is try!

liversedge

Will be there this year. So any pacing strategies for glandon, telegraph/galibier and AdH? I'm thinking low tempo for Glandon, low tempo for Tele/Galibier then whatever is left for AdH (hopefully mid-upper tempo).

Anyone find the Galibier tough due to sheer altitude ? should pacing take this into account ?

richa

Galibier is just tough.

Reckon these are the approx times that would correspond to a 9:15 (Gold) time.

Depart:
Glandon Feed @ 2:10
Telegraphe @ 4:25
Valloire Feed @ 4:50
Galibier Feed @ 6:30
Bourg Feed @ 7:45
Finish @ 9:15

[Assumes 4mins at each of 4 feed stations]

Have you read this:
http://mr-miff-on-tour.blogspot.com/200 ... guide.html

My pacing strategy is based upon HR - allow HR upto 85%max on the climbs (<80% elsewhere). However, I ride with a mate, and therefore my pacing is also influenced by his HR/power readings.